Harry Potter and the Sword of Astragal
by Luckner
Summary: Can love last for eternity? Sometimes it can, if you know the right spell. An ancient sword, a wolf named Grimmy, and a silver eyed girl help Harry Potter find his destiny. One for romantics. Complete. HL,GN,HRR.
1. A Visit From My Angel

**Disclaimer:** The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **My special thanks to _aliceravenclaw_ and _John Adams_ for all their help in beta reading this story and keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for their many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been.

**CHAPTER 1: A VISIT FROM MY ANGEL**

The wind ripped the trees and rooftops of Privet Drive as a wild rain, which seemed to come from all directions, lashed at the well-kept homes. The steel-grey skies were illuminated at intervals by the jagged fingers of lightening, while deafening claps of thunder threatened to shake the houses from their very foundations. Leaves were torn from the trees, swept across the neatly manicured lawns and dumped into the overflowing gutters. The debris was then swept down the streets to the storm drains, and eventually to the sea. These were not the light showers that England normally received during the summer months; but rather the kind of hard, wind-driven rain that comes just before winter takes hold.

It had been raining steadily for almost a week now; asserting once again the power of nature over the feeble efforts of man; but in one house such impudence would simply not be tolerated. Vernon and Petunia Dursley of number four maintained an orderly life, and no element of nature would be permitted to cause such a disruption.

A boy with dark, unkempt hair watched as his uncle stared out the window at the wind and rain. The older man's large hands were clenched into tight fists, his knuckles white. Suddenly, the man spun about and advanced towards the boy, his face red with anger. Pointing a pudgy finger at his nephew, Vernon Dursley demanded: "Do you have anything to do with this, boy?"

"How could I have anything to do with the rain?" The skinny boy replied incredulously, taking a step backwards.

"Don't pretend to be innocent with me, boy. Your kind have their ways," Vernon Dursley said with a sneer. But then he turned abruptly away from his abnormal nephew, feeling regret that he had broken the comfortable code of silence that had existed since the boy returned from school, and began to speak to his wife. "Damned impertinence this rain, Petunia. Something should be done about it. The government should do something about it. I'm going to write a letter to the press.

"But Vernon, its only rain," Petunia Dursey said meekly.

"That's not the point, Petunia," Vernon Dursey said an angry voice. "That's not the point at all. Nature has to be controlled, and regulated, and bent to the needs of man. Otherwise it's like…like that other thing." He said, jerking his thumb in the direction of his nephew. "You can't let it control your life; you have to be the master."

Harry had an image of his uncle standing out in the front yard, yelling at the storm. Telling it to cease and desist immediately or he would contact his solicitor and action would be taken. The thought brought a rare smile to the boy's face, a smile that his uncle immediately noticed.

"And what are you doing down here, boy?" The red-faced man demanded.

"I just came down to get something to eat," the boy said defensively, and he hurried into the kitchen. Harry had started his summer vacation a week before, but had only set foot outside of his bedroom to use the loo and get an occasional bite to eat. He was making a conscious effort to avoid his relatives as much as possible.

This arrangement seemed to be just fine with said relatives, as the less they saw of their abnormal nephew and his strange world the better they liked it. After meeting Harry's "friends" at King's Cross Station, Uncle Vernon decided that it would be "safer" to leave the boy completely alone.

The pain of the previous semester hung like a weight around Harry's neck, forcing him into a deep depression. The death of his Godfather, the injuries to his friends and the terrible prophecy which hung over his head like a sword was causing Harry to isolate himself even more than in the past. He had even given some serious thought to leaving school, and so protect his friends from the danger that he represented. At the same time he realized that he couldn't do it; he would need all the training he could get if he was to face the most powerful dark wizard that ever lived. But he was so tired, so desperately tired, he just wanted it to be all over once and for all.

Harry felt he really needed to talk to someone, but who was there that he could trust? After the events of last term Harry didn't really feel comfortable discussing his problems with Professor Dumbledore. Remus Lupin was still trying to deal with the deep grief of losing his best friend. And Harry didn't feel prepared to discuss it with Ron and Hermonie. He still hadn't been able to tell them about the terrible prophecy that required him to kill Voldemort, or be killed by him.

Then Harry's thoughts turned to someone else. Not for the first time since he had returned home did his thoughts turn to Luna Lovegood; the strange girl that he had first met on the Hogwarts Express less than a year before. Her kind words on the evening of the Leaving Feast had made a profound impression on him, and had eased his pain for a little while at least. Luna was different, that was certain, but then so was he; and she managed to handle being different a lot better than he could. Another thing they had in common was that they both knew death; she could see the Thestrals just as he could. It seemed that if anyone could understand it might be Luna. But she was in Sweden with her father hunting for some strange creature that everyone said was just a myth. Besides, he really didn't know her that well, how could he ever share such a burden with her? Harry sighed deeply, buried his head in the pillow, and tried to go back to sleep.

Late that night Harry awoke to a familiar "tap, tap, tap" sound coming from the window. He concluded that it must be Hedwig returning from her nightly hunt, and he hoped desperately that she hadn't brought him back another mouse. Swinging his feet off the bed and onto the floor, Harry stretched his arms towards the ceiling. He didn't understand why he still felt tired; he hadn't done anything but sleep for the past week.

"Tap, tap, tap, tap," came the sound from the window, a little louder this time.

"I'm coming." Harry answered, stifling a yawn, and staggering over to the window. Throwing open the sash he saw a dark form fly into the room and alight on his desk. Putting on his glasses for the first time, he saw that it wasn't Hedwig, but instead was a strange owl that Harry had never seen before. He recognized the variety as a Great Horned Owl; and it was the first time that Harry had even seen this type of owl used for mail delivery.

The owl gave the boy a friendly "hoot, hoot" and raised its right leg. Harry removed the parchment and gave the large bird a couple of owl treats. Unrolling the scroll, he saw with some surprise that it was from Luna Lovegood.

"_Dear Harry,_

_I'm sorry I didn't see you on the Hogwarts Express at the end of term, but my Father picked me up from school. We're in southern Sweden right now, organizing an expedition into the interior. I wanted to look for you on the train. I thought you might want to talk some more, and I thought maybe I could help. I know we're not close, you may even think I'm crazy, but I do understand what you're going through; I've gone through it myself. I do want to help, Harry, I really do; if you'll let me._

_My owl's name is Achillies. He can find us wherever we are. I know how lonely you must be; I'm lonely too. If you want to write me I promise I'll write back._

_Sincerely,_

_Luna_

Harry didn't even realize it, but as he read Luna's letter tears were forming in his eyes. He saw at once the sincerity of her words. No one else could truly understand, but somehow he thought that Luna could.

Something told Harry that this was a letter that couldn't wait. He sat down at his desk and pulled out parchment and a quill. He thought for several minutes about what he should write, and then decided that the only way she could help him was if he was honest. With difficulty, he began to write.

_Dear Luna,_

_Thank you so much for writing. I appreciate it that you care enough to want to help, and I do want to write you. I don't think you're crazy, and I never did. You're brave, and smart, and I think of you as a friend._

_I feel so bad about what happened that night. It's my fault that he's gone. If I hadn't been so stubborn Voldemort would never have been able to lure me into his trap. And Sirius paid for it with his life; you all almost did as well. You would all be better off without me. It's dangerous to be my friend._

_Harry_

He rolled up the parchment and took it over to the large owl, which was waiting patiently on his desk. "Achilles, this is for Luna. Will you take it to her?" The owl gave a "hoot" that the boy took as a yes, and extended its leg. After securing the parchment in place, Harry opened the window and the large owl flew out into the midnight sky. He had no idea how long it would take the owl to reach Sweden, let alone locate Luna, so the next three days seemed endless.

Very early on the third morning Harry was awakened by the sound of tapping. Opening his eyes and looking towards the window, he saw Achilles sitting patiently on the ledge outside. He leaped out of bed, almost falling as he did so, and rushing to the window he threw open the sash. The owl flew in and landed on Harry's desk, where he hooted happily, holding out his leg. Harry hastily took the parchment, gave the bird a couple of owl treats and some water, and sat down on his bed to read the scroll.

"_Dear Harry,_

_I won't start this letter by asking how you are. I know how you are. You're angry, depressed, frustrated, and maybe a little bit scared. I know that's how you feel, because that's how I felt._

_When my Mum died I blamed myself for her accident. I told myself that I should have done something, that somehow I should have stopped her, and that everyone would have been better off if it had been me and not her._

_I was wrong. My Mum took the risks that she did because it was her job. Just as Sirius acted as he did because fighting evil is worth any sacrifice. Try to remember the good things, remember the love he felt for you and you felt for him. We all make mistakes. Forgive yourself as you know Sirius would forgive you. And please don't turn away from those of us who love you, and count on you to lead us in this fight. We can't do this without you, and evil is still out there._

_As for Sirius, and my Mum, we really will see them again you know. And we do want them to be proud of us when that time comes, don't we?_

_Please write to me again, Harry, I want to help._

_Love,_

_Luna"_

Harry looked at Luna's letter for a long time, tears beginning to flow down his cheeks. She had again lifted some of the terrible weight from his shoulders. The fact that someone really did seem to understand was tremendously reassuring to him. He quickly got quill and parchment and began to write a reply.

"_Dear Luna,_

_Thanks. Your letter really helped. I wish you were here so I could really tell you how much it meant to me. Sometimes I forget that I'm not alone, and that I have good friends like you that care about me._

_You were right; I do blame myself for Sirius' death. But it's not just that. I've just got so much hanging over me that I don't know what to do. I just want it over, I'm so tired. I'm just tired of waiting, of watching people close to me get hurt and killed. I just want him to come so we can finish it._

_Love,_

_Harry"_

Harry really didn't even give any thought to the way he had signed the letter, he was just too exhausted. He tied the parchment to Achilles' leg and sent him off, and then fell back on his bed and was asleep in a few seconds.

Two nights later Harry awoke with a start. Someone was gently stroking his face! In the bright moonlight that flooded in through his bedroom window he saw Luna Lovegood kneeling by his bed. She had silver tears streaming down her face, and in the moonlight she looked like an enchanted being from some other world.

"Luna," he exclaimed, "what are you doing here?"

"You needed me." She replied softly, in a rather sad voice.

Harry sat up on the side of his bed and tried to gather his wits about him. Luna sat down gently on the bed next to him, quite close he thought.

"But how…how did you get here from Sweden, and so fast?"

"As soon as your letter arrived I talked to my Father. He contacted Professor Dumbledore and got the coordinates for your bedroom, and then he made me a Portkey. You needed to talk, so I came," she said simply, laying a gentle hand on Harry's arm.

It took Harry a few moments to take in all that she said; all the while Luna was staring at him with her large silver eyes, waiting until he was ready.

"I do need to talk to someone…before I go crazy," the young boy confessed. And then, taking a deep breath, Harry continued, "I really don't think I can take it anymore." With that simple admission a flood of pent up emotion came pouring out. He admitted his grief over the death of Sirus, his guilt over being drawn into Voldemort's trap, his growing distrust of Dumbledore and his motives, and most of all his feelings of loneliness and isolation. He never even realized it when Luna pulled him into a tight hug. He buried his head into her soft hair and started to cry, holding her tightly. Once started, he couldn't stop. Years of abuse, sorrow, grief and loneliness came out in a flood of tears. Luna just sat there and held him, rocking him back and forth, and whispering soothing words in his ear; much as his Mother might have, if she had lived.

Finally cried out and exhausted, Harry fell asleep in Luna's arms. She laid him down on his pillow and covered him with a blanket. Luna curled up on the floor next to the bed and wrapped herself in a spare blanket.

"No, no, don't do it," Luna awoke to Harry shouting in his sleep. Standing, she could see that he was still asleep, struggling in his bed and soaked in sweat. Ginny Weasley had told her that Harry was subject to frequent nightmares, but she never thought they were so violent. She lifted the blanket, climbed into the bed beside him and held him close to her. He immediately relaxed and fell back into a peaceful sleep; Luna followed quickly.

Harry stirred the next morning at the light coming in through his bedroom window. Even before he opened his eyes he was aware of something very warm and soft lying at his side. Blinking to get the sleep out of his eyes, he was shocked to find himself looking into Luna Lovegood's face. She was sound asleep, curled up against him. His first instinct was panic, as he backed up against the wall behind his bed.

'How did she ever get into my bed? ' He asked himself, 'and how am I ever going to get out of this?' He could always just wake her up and ask her to get out, but that didn't seem right. Why did these things always seem to happen to him? If the Dursley's ever found out he'd be dead for sure. And then Harry began to remember Luna's gentle kindness and compassion from the previous night, and how she always seemed to try and make things easier for him. His muscles relaxed, he lay back on the pillow, and the panic was gone.

Seeing no reason at all why he should wake her, he lay there and studied her sleeping face. He'd never known of anyone to smile in their sleep, but Luna was indeed smiling peacefully. Sleeping there, she looked very young and innocent. Harry wondered why he'd never thought of it before, but Luna was really quite pretty, in her own rustic way. But then, thinking about it for a moment, Harry came to the rather mature conclusion that Luna's beauty came from the inside, rooted in compassion, loyalty, and love. Cho had been very beautiful, but hers, on the other hand, was all on the outside. He was quite certain that he liked inner beauty more.

Harry had always been the kind of boy to act impulsively, and now he did just that. He leaned slowly forward and kissed Luna gently on the tip of her nose. As he pulled back he saw her eyes flutter open. Her silver eyes close up were so pure and beautiful. And as she gave him a sleepy smile, Harry felt his heart flutter.

"Good morning," she said dreamily, "How did you sleep?"

"Better than I ever have, thank you."

She looked at him questioningly, and then smiled. 'Where in the world did she get that beautiful smile' he thought to himself.

"Well, I guess we better get up now."

"Do we have to?" Harry said shyly, "I'd rather stay right here."

"Alright then," Luna responded matter-of-factly, "I just thought that you might want to spend the rest of the summer at my house. But if you're happy here…"

Quickly sitting up in bed, Harry just stared at her. "What…what did you say?" He asked, his voice shaking.

"Daddy talked to Professor Dumbledore yesterday. They decided that it would be better if you spent the rest of the summer with us."

"But I can't. The spell that protects me only works if I stay in the same house with my Aunt."

"Professor Dumbledore and members of the Order are establishing the same wards around our house that protect 'The Burrow.' He says you will be perfectly safe staying with us."

Harry couldn't believe it. "That's fantastic Luna, when can we….Wait a minute. Aren't you supposed to be on vacation in Sweden? Weren't you and your Father going to search for the Crumple-Horned Snorkack? What happened with that?"

Luna looked distinctly uncomfortable with the question, and blushed slightly pink. "Well…um, actually…Daddy is still there. But I found that I really didn't like camping very much. All that sleeping in bags and such. So I decided to come home early and start my summer homework. But if you come we can keep each other company."

Harry knew that Luna was lying, he knew how much she had been looking forward to this vacation, and the time she would be able to spend with her Father. She was giving it all up for him, and he knew it. He knew that the Lovegoods were not financially well off, and Luna might never have the chance to take such a trip again. Harry felt extremely grateful and a little bit ashamed. Grateful that someone cared enough about him to make such a sacrifice, and ashamed that he had only been thinking about his himself and his own pain. He hadn't thought about how all of this might affect his friends.

"I know that's not true, Luna," Harry said gently, "won't you please tell me the truth."

Luna tilted her head to one side and looked at him thoughtfully. For a moment he thought that she hadn't understood him. She stared at him with her misty silver eyes and whispered, "You needed me."

Tears welled up in Harry's eyes as he silently pulled Luna into a tight hug. He buried his face in her dirty blond hair and felt very fortunate that he had such a loyal friend. "Thank you Luna," he managed to choke out. Normally Harry would never do that with a girl, being by nature terribly shy, but somehow with Luna it seemed perfectly natural. And he knew that she was right; he did 'need her.' For her part, Luna held Harry just as tightly, and felt just as fortunate. The embrace lasted a long time, neither of them wanting it to end; somehow the close physical contact making them both feel better.

Drying his tears Harry managed to choke out, "so…when do we leave."

"Dad made me a Portkey that activates at 9:00."

Harry glanced at his bedside clock and saw that it was not quite seven. "I had better hurry if I'm going to be ready in time. It was only then that Harry realized, somewhat to his embarrassment, that he was still in his pajamas.

A worried look came over Harry's face. How was he going to get dressed? He couldn't exactly ask Luna to step out into the hall. If his Aunt and Uncle ever found out that he had slept with a girl, no matter how innocent it was, he would be locked in his bedroom for the rest of his life. And yet he couldn't get dressed with her standing there.

Luna seemed to read his mind and provided the solution. "Do you still have your invisibility cloak," she asked in a dreamy voice.

"My what?"

"Your invisibility cloak. Ginny told me that you had an invisibility cloak, and in your second year you used it to sneak into the restricted section of the library. Do you still have it?"

"Err, yes. It's in my trunk. Why to you ask?"

"Well, if you loaned it to me I could use the loo while you get dressed."

"That's a great idea," Harry exclaimed and started digging through his trunk. Pulling it out, he waited while Luna picked up a small overnight bag, and then carefully draped it over her head. She immediately vanished from view.

"Perfect!"

"Well, not quite," said Luna vaguely, "it's about a foot too long, but I'll manage."

Harry watched as his bedroom door slowly opened and then closed. "Luna? Are you still here?" Taking her lack of an answer as a no he pulled off his pajamas and pulled on jeans and a sweat shirt. A few minutes later, as he had just finished packing his truck, he saw his bedroom door mysteriously open and close again. Suddenly he saw Luna's head appear, seemingly floating in mid-air.

"This cloak is wonderful! A boy passed me in the hallway without a clue that I was there," she laughed.

"That would be my cousin, Dudley."

As Luna took off the cloak, Harry noticed that she had changed her clothing. Instead of the jeans and sweatshirt she had come in, she now wore a light blue sun dress and had her hair tied in a neat ponytail. It looked a little bit old fashioned, but somehow the look seemed to fit Luna. In fact, Harry thought that she looked quite fetching.

"Do I look alright?" she asked, somewhat unsure of herself.

"You look great," he exclaimed sincerely.

"Thank you," she said shyly, a slight blush coming to her face. "I thought if I was going to meet your relatives I had better dress in muggle cloths….Of course," she continued dreamily, "jeans are muggle cloths as well, aren't they."

"Well…err, yes. But I still think this is a nice look for you." Harry hadn't even given a thought to how he was going to tell his relatives that he was leaving for the rest of the summer, not that he thought they would really mind.

"I'm not really sure how I'm going to tell them I'm leaving, not that they will have a problem with it."

"Well…" Luna began in a conspiratorial tone, "I do have a plan."

"Well, let's hear it."

"You can go downstairs and tell your relatives that Professor Dumbledore sent you a message telling you to come to our house for the rest of the summer. Tell them that someone will be coming to pick you up about 8:30. I can use your invisibility cloak to sneak out the front door, and then knock on the door when the time comes. I can meet your relatives and then we can Portkey to my house."

Harry looked at her with awe. "I never realized that you were so sneaky," he said with a smile. "I think you just want to use the invisibility cloak a while longer."

"Could be," she said with a sly smile.

Luna donned the invisibility cloak once more and went downstairs with Harry. He looked into the kitchen, and seeing his relatives seated around the table, signaled Luna that it was okay to go.

Going into the kitchen, Harry took his usual place at the table. "Good morning Uncle Vernon, good morning Aunt Petunia," he said cheerfully.

"Well I knew it was too good to last, Petunia. He's still here," Uncle Vernon said snidely. "I can't say I missed you boy."

"Then I have some good news for you. Professor Dumbledore wants me to spend the rest of the summer with some friends of his…for security reasons." He hastily added.

"Excellent," Uncle Vernon responded, seemingly delighted. "How soon can you leave?"

"Someone will be stopping by to pick me up in a few minutes."

"Not any of those people we met at the railway station," Vernon Dursley said in alarm. He could just see Mad-eye Moody strolling down Privet Drive.

"No, it will be my girlfriend from school." Harry hadn't even realized that he had just called Luna his girlfriend, but Uncle Vernon certainly noticed.

"You have a girlfriend?" Uncle Vernon sputtered.

After a moments thought Harry answered, "Yes, I have a girlfriend, a very special one. Her name is Luna Lovegood."

"Luna? What kind of a weird name is Luna?" Uncle Vernon exclaimed. "Well its no never mind to me."

At that moment the front door bell rang. "I'll get it," Harry declared, and headed for the door.

Dudley followed him into the entryway. "Just where do you think you're going?" Harry asked.

"I want to see just what kind of a freak would have you as a boyfriend!"

That remark was all it took. Harry threw all his weight against Dudley and slammed him into the wall. Pinning him there, he pulled out his wand and held it against Dudley's nose. "You can say anything you like about me, but if you say one more word about Luna I'll give you a pig's nose to go along with your tail." As Harry talked, the color ran out of Dudley's face until he was pale as death. "Now I think you had better go up to your room and stay there until after I'm gone."

The second Harry released him Dudley made a dash for the stairs and Harry turned to open the door.

"Is everything all right?" Luna whispered.

"It couldn't be better," Harry answered, and taking her hand led her into the kitchen.

"Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, this is Luna Lovegood, she's a friend of mine from school."

"How do you do Mr. Dursley? I'm very happy to meet you," Luna said sincerely, extending her hand to Vernon Dursley. Whether out of shock, or because he was so conventional, he gave it a quick shake, before dropping her hand as if it were on fire.

Turning to Aunt Petunia, Luna again extended her hand. "And I'm so happy to meet you also, Mrs. Dursley. You have a very lovely home." A rather sweeping statement Harry thought, considering Luna had only seen the kitchen.

"It's nice to meet you too, Miss Lovegood," Petuna Dursley managed to choke out, but Harry could tell that her voice was strained.

An awkward silence then fell over the kitchen, as no one seemed willing to risk another word.

Finally, Luna turned to Harry and said, "I think we better get your trunk so that we don't miss our 'ride.'"

"Oh, right," Harry responded quickly, as he turned towards the door. "Well I guess I'll see you again next spring." He said casually to his relatives as he left.

The two teens then went up to Harry's bedroom and prepared to leave. They sat on Harry's trunk and held onto a small flower pot. Harry held Hedwig's cage with his free hand and Luna held her overnight bag. At exactly 9:00 Harry felt the familiar tug behind his navel, and they were on their way.


	2. A Summer Enchantment

**Disclaimer:** The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **My special thanks to _aliceravenclaw_ and _John Adams_ for all her help in beta reading this story and keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for their many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been..

**CHAPTER 2: A SUMMER OF ENCHANTMENT**

Harry felt a slight bump and opened his eyes to find himself in the middle of a wide, green meadow. A great expanse of wild grasses and colorful wild flowers that extended out to where it met a line of enormous trees. Where the meadow ended a great dark forest of ancient Oak trees began.

"Luna, it's beautiful. But where's your house?"

"Well turn around, silly."

Harry turned around and saw the strangest house he had ever seen, or ever would see. It looked, more than anything, like a very large mushroom. The house was two stories high and was topped with a large rounded thatch roof. It was built of stone, with heavy oak beams and large leaden glass windows. It looked very, very old; as different from modern houses as day was from night. Somehow, however, the old house looked rather warm and inviting.

Immediately in front was a large flower garden; but like the house itself, it too was rather strange. All the houses of Privet Drive had straight, uniform flower beds, neatly separated by fences and hedges. But here there were no fences, no hedges or boundaries of any kind separating the garden from the meadow. The colorful masses of garden flowers just seemed to merge into the grasses and wild flowers of the meadow.

"Are you ready, Harry?"

"Absolutely."

As he reached down to pick up the handle of the trunk Luna pulled out her wand and called "Wingardium Levosa," and the trunk rose gently into the air.

"You can't use magic, Luna, you'll get yourself in trouble," Harry declared frantically.

"It's alright, Harry," Luna said with a smile. "The magic that protects this forest blocks the Ministry from knowing anything. I've been using my wand since I was nine."

"I didn't think you could get your wand until you were eleven."

"Well normally that's true, but Mr. Ollivander and my father are friends, so I was able to get mine a little early."

"I see," Harry said with a grin. "It's nice to have friends in high places."

As they walked up the path leading to the front door, the trunk and Hedwig's cage floating behind, Harry noticed a doe and her fawn peacefully nibbling on some Delphiniums. The doe raised her head in brief acknowledgement of their presence, and then returned to her breakfast. Harry was amazed at just how unafraid they were, but then he noticed that Luna was frowning.

"I just never seem to plant enough Delphiniums. The deer love them so much, and I don't want them to do without."

Harry smiled to himself, that was just so Luna.

The front door magically opened as they approached, and Harry followed Luna into the house. The entryway had polished plank flooring and leaded glass windows that allowed the morning sunlight to flood into the room. Harry looked around the room and then glanced up the stairs that faced him, and was shocked to see a pair of large shining eyes staring back at him. Suddenly a dark form bounded down the stairs in two leaps and Harry saw in horror that it was an enormous black wolf. He was just reaching for his wand when Luna dropped to her knees and called out: "Grimmy, come here girl!" The great wolf bounded forward, lay down in front of the young girl, and rolled over on its back. Luna sat on the floor and scratched the wolf's stomach while it wagged its tail like a puppy.

Looking up at Harry, Luna frowned when she saw the look of fear on his face. Reaching up she grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him down to his knees.

"This is Grimmy. She won't hurt you. She's my baby." Then addressing the enormous wolf she said, "You are my little one, aren't you?" In response the wolf wagged her tail even faster.

Luna soon had Harry scratching the wolf's stomach, and a friendship was made. Harry was never allowed a pet as a child, and now realized what he had missed.

As Luna took Harry up to his room he asked her how she had even gotten a wolf as a pet.

"When I was little, Daddy and Mum took a vacation to Sweden. We found her there. Her family had been killed by hunters. We couldn't leave her to die, she was just a baby. So she became mine."

It all made perfect sense, if you were Luna.

Like the rest of the house, Harry's bedroom had an old-fashioned beauty to it; with polished oak paneling, a large four-poster bed, and a warm fire burning in the fireplace. As Luna left him to get settled she told him that her room was next door, and that she would leave her door ajar in case he had any more nightmares. He looked around the cheerful room, and then out the window at the meadow below. It extended like a peaceful sea to the distant land, which was the dark green forest. He thought to himself, 'I think I'm going to be very happy here.'

After an early lunch, Luna showed Harry around the house, and at the end of the tour Harry concluded that Luna's ancestors must have been very interesting witches and wizards in their own right. Her great uncle, Cornelius Shaw, was fascinated with all aspects of astronomy, and had a fully equipped observatory built in the attic under a retractable thatched roof. The laboratory in the cellar, which had belonged to Luna's mother, was complete enough to even make Professor Snape green with envy. And the library of her great grandmother, Elspeth Shaw, surpassed even Hogwarts in its collection of books on ancient magic.

"Hermione would give her right arm to get into this library," Harry remarked in awe.

"Oh, I don't think she should do that," Luna said dreamily, "she might need it."

Harry gave his friend a knowing look followed by a wide grin. "Come on Luna, don't give me that. I know you too well now." Harry had come to realize that Luna's dreamy exterior was really just a mask to cover a very acute mind.

At first Luna frowned at him slightly, but then she smiled shyly and shrugged her shoulders.

It was clear that this family had a passionate love of nature. The paintings on the walls were all meadow and woodland scenes, and were striking in their beauty. Harry was surprised when Luna told him that she had painted several of them herself, and that painting had always been a hobby of hers. In the weeks that followed, Harry would watch her as she painted, and he never tired of it. He would sit in the soft grass of the meadow, or on a rock by the fast flowing stream, and watch Luna create her own unique magic with paint and brushes. Her paintings brought him a unique perspective on nature that he never had before. Luna endowed each of her works with the intense love she felt for her home and nature in general; and Harry could feel it.

That night Luna cooked roast beef and oven browned potatoes for dinner, which the two ate in the living room in front of the fireplace. Harry was amazed at what an excellent cook the young girl was. She explained that after her mother's death she had taken over all the cooking and housekeeping responsibilities. "It was either that or starve," she said jokingly, as she cleared away the dishes.

Over the fireplace was the portrait of a beautiful young woman in flowing white robes. Harry got up from where he sat and looked up at the woman, who smiled down at him. She had beautiful silver eyes and long sandy-blond hair. He saw courage and kindness in her face, but the thing that made her so beautiful was her smile; a smile which her daughter had inherited.

"That was my Mother, Harry." Luna whispered.

"She was very beautiful." Harry declared. "You look very much like her."

Luna blushed sweetly and Harry found himself wondering if Luna wasn't even more beautiful than her Mother.

They settled down in front of the fire and talked long into the night. Harry found it easy to talk to Luna, as if they had known each other all their lives. And when he went to sleep it was with a sense of peace he had never known on Privet Drive, or even at Hogwarts.

- o -

The next morning Harry awoke to the smell of bacon cooking. He went downstairs to find Luna tunelessly humming as she worked at the stove. He packed away a rather large breakfast of bacon, sausage, eggs and toast. Luna appeared immensely pleased at this testament to her culinary abilities.

After breakfast Luna suggested a walk in the forest. As they strolled along the tree shaded paths Harry slipped his hand into hers. She smiled up at him shyly and Harry's stomach did a series of flip flops. He smiled back at her as she led him deeper into the wondrous green realm.

He was more than a little surprised by the number and variety of the animals that he saw, and by the fact that they showed no fear of humans. He was certain that Harmonie had told him that some of these species were extinct, but here they were. When he asked Luna why the animals showed no fear she told him that it was an enchanted forest, the animals had no fear of humans because they had never been harmed by them. When he asked her exactly what she meant by "enchanted," she said mysteriously that this forest was under the protection of a guardian. Harry still didn't really understand, but let the matter drop.

When the day grew warm they stopped by a crystal clear pool at the foot of a small waterfall. The water looked cool and refreshing. Luna suggested that a swim might be nice, and she promptly transfigured them a couple of swimsuits.

"I didn't realize you were so good at transfiguration," Harry said, quite impressed. "This isn't going to disappear as soon as I get in the water, is it?" He asked warily, holding up his suit.

Holding up her own suit, Luna giggled, "I don't think so, but I'm taking the same chance you are."

"Where do we change?'

"Those are your bushes," she said, pointing at a large Holly bush, "and those are mine," she jerked a thumb behind her.

Harry was rather surprised when she emerged from behind the bushes; Luna really looked quite fetching in the simple one-piece, blue suit that she had made for herself.

After a refreshing swim, during which their suits did not disappear, they lay on a small sandy beach and enjoyed the warm summer sun.

"I used to come here often when I was younger, but I never had anyone to share it with. It's nice to share it with you Harry."

"Didn't you have any friends you could share with?"

"No…after my mother died they just stopped coming," she said with a trace of regret. "I guess they just didn't know what to say, and their parents thought that we were a little odd anyway."

Harry suddenly realized what a lonely child Luna must have been, and his heart ached for his friend. "Well I don't think you're odd; I think you're wonderful." And he leaned in and kissed her gently on the cheek. "Thank you for sharing this with me."

She turned, looked at him and smiled shyly.

Harry seemed to loose himself in her deep silver eyes and mumbled, quite unintentionally, "You're so beautiful." Then he blushed at his own words.

Luna blushed sweetly and whispered, "So are you, Harry." She slipped her hand into his and he felt a rush of happiness just lying next to her.

They spent the rest of the day lying on the little beach by the pool; enjoying the warm sun and the peace of the forest. And as they walked back to the house later that evening, Harry sensed that something had changed in their relationship. He had never really been comfortable with girls before, his relationship with Cho Chang was a nightmare that he still remembered. His experience at the Yule Ball had also been less than positive. But with Luna it seemed different; with her it felt so easy and natural. He didn't fully understand his feelings yet, but he realized that she had become quite important to him in a very short time.

That evening, after dinner, Luna took him out to a hill near her house. They lay on the soft grass under an old apple tree and watched the sunset beyond Ottery St. Catchpole. Harry's life had always been too busy to simply watch clouds float by, but now Luna insisted he do just that. It took a little while for Harry to start using his imagination, but soon he was pointing out clouds that looked like dragons, and sailing ships, and all manner of things. He was surprised at how good he felt, watching the pink and crimson clouds slowly turn to shades of lavender and grey, and drift across the sky. Luna was sharing one of her treasures with him, and he knew it. As they walked back to the house, in the gathering darkness, Harry put his arm around Luna's back and pulled her closer. She put her arm around his waist and laid her head against his shoulder. He heaved a sigh, if only this could last a little longer.

In the days that followed they took many long walks, talking about things so personal that they never imagined telling them to another soul. There was something magical about this forest that encouraged such confidences; and by this time Harry and Luna had developed an absolute trust in one another.

She told him how lonely she had been as a child, without the friendship of other children. When her mother died her father had immersed himself in work, not realizing the grief she was going through. Other children in the neighborhood already considered her odd, and stopped coming to see her completely. Her only friend and confidant during those difficult years was Grimmy. She had hoped that school would be better, but once again she found herself an outcast. The members of her own house shunned and ridiculed her. She would never allow them to know how much it hurt her, but it did. Harry held her in his arms as she spoke, and silently resolved that no one would ever hurt Luna again.

He in turn told her what it was like to grow up in a family without love, where he was subjected to constant abuse and torment. He told her how he was locked up in a cabinet beneath the stairs for the first eleven years of his life. How he was not allowed to have friends, because his relatives told people lies that poisoned their minds against him. And as he spoke, silver tears poured down Luna's cheeks, and she hugged him tightly.

Near the end of his second week at "The Meadows," for that is what Luna called her home, Harry decided that there was one last secret that he needed to tell her about, his most terrible secret and the one that caused him the greatest anguish.

"There's something else, something I haven't told anyone about, but I want to tell you. You know the prophecy about me that was destroyed at the Ministry? Well Professor Dumbledore knew what it contained; he was there when it was first made. It said that I have to kill Voldemort or he has to kill me, we can't both live. I either have to be murderer or victim; and the whole wizarding world hangs in the balance. How can I do this, Luna?" He asked imploringly, as tears threatened.

"You can do it, Harry, I know you can. You're stronger and braver than anyone I know; and I feel so much safer knowing that our destiny is in your hands." And then, with a faraway look in her eyes she added, "And when that time comes, we'll face him together."

"No! I don't want you to be there, Luna. If he kills me, he'll kill you too."

"If he kills you everything will be lost anyway, and I would want to die fighting at your side. If we die, then we'll go through the veil together. You can meet my mother and I can meet your parents." Then in a very serious tone she added, "I'll never let you be alone again, Harry."

Her courage, lack of fear, and her trust in him gave him the strength and resolve he needed. 'How can she understand me so well?' He wondered. His real fear had always been loneliness. But then, he thought, if anyone could truly understand loneliness it was Luna.

That night, watching the sunset from their special place under the apple tree, Harry thought about how much his life had changed since he had come to stay with Luna. She had helped him over- come his fears and anxieties, and had brought him a peace he had never known. In the days that followed, as he learned more and more about her, she became more than a friend to him; and by the end of summer he couldn't imagine his life without her.

Harry would long remember that evening in the forest. He lay next to Luna in the soft grass, holding her hand, and watched the last rays of daylight disappear into inky darkness. All the sufferings of his life, his troubled past and uncertain future, faded away in this moment of complete bliss. His soul was finally at peace. He looked over at Luna, as she peacefully looked at the stars, and he understood for the first time what love really was, and how his Father must have felt about his Mother. He leaned over and gently kissed her on the cheek. She looked over at him and smiled, then moved closer and laid her head on his chest.

- o -

About a week later Luna's father came home. Harry and Luna were in the kitchen happily preparing supper when they heard the front door open. A moment later a smiling, grey haired man came into the kitchen.

"I thought I smelled supper cooking, my timing couldn't have been more perfect."

"Dad!" Luna squealed, and ran into his arms. Harry could see her holding him tightly, and he was holding her just as tightly, kissing the top of her head. He could see real love between father and daughter; in one respect at least, Luna was a very lucky girl.

Still holding his daughter, Edward Lovegood reached out one hand to Harry. "Harry Potter, I presume? It's very nice to finally meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Lovegood."

"I hope you haven't found the country life too boring after the city. I myself grew up at Diagon Alley, and I know the quiet takes a little getting used to."

"It's been wonderful; I've never enjoyed anyplace so much."

Luna and her father seemed particularly delighted by Harry's remark. Turning to her father she asked "Well…did you find them?" Luna's ability to change subjects on the spur of a moment never ceased to amaze Harry, but her father seemed quite used to it.

"If you'll both step outside I might have something interesting to show you."

There on the front porch were eight large wooden crates. Mr. Lovegood opened the front of one and gently pulled out a small brown and white creature that resembled a rather plump rabbit with a crumpled horn in the center of its forehead. He handed it to Luna and she cradled it in her arms, gently stroking its fur. Harry thought about how very sweet she looked holding the Snorkack. Harry was delighted that Mr. Lovegood had found the Snorkacks; now perhaps people would understand that there was nothing odd about Luna or her father.

After a good supper, and a quick magical cleanup, the three went into the living room and settled in comfortable chairs in front of the fireplace. As Edward Lovegood related the story of his search for the Snorkacks, which must have been quite demanding at times, Harry could see Luna's eyes shining with excitement. Her excitement became his excitement, and he wished someday he might go on such an expedition.

"You were right about the Lainioalvan River, Pumpkin. That's where I found them, about 90 kilometers north of Lainio."

Then, turning to Harry, he said. "She has a natural instinct for such things. I thought we would find them further south, but she always thought they would be in that wild country up by the Finnish border."

"So the next issue of the Quibbler will announce that you've found the Crumple-Horned Snorkack?"

Luna and her Father exchanged glances and Luna nodded her head slightly. "No, Harry, the next issue of the Quibbler will report that after an extensive search, no evidence of the Crumple- Horned Snorkack could be found."

"But why?" Harry asked, thoroughly confused.

"If their existence was known, every magical zoo in the world would want them. The few remaining Snorkacks would be put on display, and in a few years they would indeed be extinct. By settling four of them here, and four in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts, we give the population a chance to recover. Once that happens we can reintroduce them into the wild and they will have a chance to survive on their own."

"But why publicize your search for them?"

"We publicize the search for rare animals so our subscribers can help us with tips and sightings. And sometimes we are lucky enough to find them. They are brought here until their numbers recover. Not everything is as it appears, Harry, not even the Quibbler."

"Speaking of which, there's something else I want you to know about the Quibbler and myself," he continued, taking Luna's hand. "I'm a member of the Order, Harry; I have been since the first war against Voldemort." He took a deep breath and continued. "We use the Quibbler, and its contacts, to gather and disperse information on Voldemort and his activities. Most people don't take us seriously, but there's a great deal of important information buried in our pages if you look carefully. Only Professor Dumbledore and a few Order members know this; if Voldemort ever found out, my life, and possibly Luna's, would most certainly be forfeit."

"Does Professor Dumbledore know you are telling me this?"

"Yes, Harry; he does. I had a long talk with him the night Luna went to get you. He realizes that this fight is as much yours as it is ours, and he believes that he was wrong in keeping so much from you. He knows that you are almost an adult, and need to be treated as one. I think from now on you'll notice a major change in his treatment of you."

Later that night Luna led Harry out onto the front porch. They sat in an old porch swing and watched the stars in the clear night sky overhead.

"I also have a confession, Harry," she began shyly. "At school I'm not exactly what I seem."

"So I've noticed. But why do you act so…"

"Loony?" Luna finished.

"NO! I would never say that!" Harry answered fiercely. "But why do you act so differently."

"I am different, Harry. I've always been different; it's part of who I am." Luna said softly. "There's nothing wrong with being different, the important thing is to be true to yourself. At school I sometimes play up that difference. Not all supporters of Voldemort come from Slytherin House. There are people in Ravenclaw House who think they're better and more worthy than everyone else; they believe that Voldemort would share power with them once he took control. Nobody pays any attention to me; they simply think I'm crazy, and just disregard me. Sometimes I'm able to hear things that I can pass on to my Father, and he can pass to the Order."

"But it must be so lonely and isolating."

"It is rather lonely, sometimes" Luna answered sadly, "but if I can help defeat him it will be worth it."

Harry marveled at how brave she was, fighting her part of the war all alone. Who was this courageous girl, Harry wondered, and why had he never noticed how special she was. He wondered about how differently his life might have turned out if he had met her in his second year, instead of his fifth. But it wasn't too late, he was sure of it.

As she got up to go into the house, Harry reached out and took hold of her hand. She turned and looked at him questioning. Gently he pulled her into his arms, and cupping her face with his hands, and whispered, "I love you, Luna Lovegood." Her eyes widened in surprise as he gently raised her face and leaned in towards her. A second later his lips met hers, and a wave of pure electricity flowed through his body.

Luna immediately returned the kiss, leaning in closer to him and wrapping her arms around his back. Reaching up, she ran her fingers through his untidy hair and deepened the kiss. Harry's hands moved to the sides of her neck, his thumbs stroking her jawbone. The kiss drew to a slow, passionate close. It lasted only a few seconds, but it was deep and achingly sweet. They stared at each other with a shared sense of wonder, and then, smiling slightly, leaned in to kiss again. Her lips were soft and sweet, and tasted like cinnamon. Harry thought that he would love to spend the rest of his life simply kissing Luna Lovegood. But once again the kiss came to a close, and once again they separated.

Green eyes locked with silver ones. Words weren't necessary. Luna laid her head on Harry's chest and he closed his eyes and held her tightly. He thought to himself how perfect this moment was and how he never wanted to let her go.

Later, as he walked Luna to her bedroom door, he thought how fortunate he was to have found her. He gently kissed her good night and told her again how much he loved her.

- o -

The next day Luna said she had something very special she wanted to show him. Harry could see she was somewhat apprehensive about it, but nevertheless took his hand and led him out the door. As they walked out towards the forest Harry noticed angry storm clouds gathering overhead, and heard a distant rumble of thunder.

"Maybe we should make it tomorrow; it looks like there's a storm brewing." Harry suggested tentatively.

"I know, that will make it perfect," Luna declared in delight.

She drew him deeper and deeper into the forest as the storm gathered overhead. As they crested a low rise Harry found himself looking down into a shallow valley, crowded with fern and wild roses. The winding trail, now flanked by a sparkling brook, crossed the valley floor and led towards a low bluff. As the trail began to rise Harry heard the low rumble of thunder and felt the first raindrops, and he began to worry about getting soaked. It was at that moment that he saw the dark entrance to a cave directly in front of him. It was really quite pretty; the brook disappeared into the cave entrance, which was flanked by colorful red and pink wild roses.

Taking his hand, and giving him a mysterious smile, Luna led him through the wide entrance and into the cave. Almost immediately Harry could sense something remarkable, a strange presence the like of which he had never felt before. It was not the least bit frightening, but felt somehow gentle and benevolent. It was truly a magical feeling. And why not, for if ever a place was magical, it was this cave. The interior walls were a blend of white and rose quartz, the floor a thick carpet of soft green moss, and the only sound was the gentle babbling of the brook as it flowed out from the depths of the cave.

"What is this place?" Harry asked in complete awe.

"It's called the 'Rain Cave,' Harry. A thousand years ago it was the home of the family of wood nymphs that protected this forest, and it still holds some of their magic. When I was a little girl my mother brought me here on rainy days to feel the magic, and to understand my place." Then, after a long pause, she added, "I was born here Harry, just as my mother and grandmother were born here; just as my children must be born here. The magic of this cave and this forest is a part of us; it's our strength and our legacy, our past and our future. It's who I am, Harry, it's what I am." Luna said these last words in a whisper, her eyes imploring him to understand.

Harry realized Luna was telling him something intensely personal, part of what made her special and unique. It seemed to touch on Luna's heart, perhaps on her very soul. He didn't really understand it, but somehow it made him love her all the more. He wrapped her in his arms and hugged her close. She snuggled into his chest and whispered "I love you so much, Harry."

And then it started. The cave walls around them began to sparkle. "It's starting!" Luna exclaimed. "Sit down Harry." As they settled themselves on the soft moss of the cave floor, Harry could see that it was now raining quite hard outside. He could also feel something, and strangely, it felt like…love. The walls were now sparkling brightly and the entrance was covered by a cascading sheet of falling water. The cave itself was warm and comforting, and seemed to be almost alive. And then he heard it. From the walls around him seemed to emanate the soft sound of murmuring voices. He didn't understand what they were saying, but they brought him a sense of peace and incredible joy. He looked at Luna lovingly; he knew she was sharing something very precious with him.

They spent all afternoon in the cave; lying on the moss, watching the rain, and listening to the voices. That evening, as they walked back to the house hand in hand, neither of them spoke; they no longer needed words.


	3. Strength United

**Disclaimer:** The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **My special thanks to _aliceravenclaw_ and _John Adams_ for all their help in beta reading this story and keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for their many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been.

**CHAPTER 3: STRENGTH UNITED**

Sleep did not come easily to Harry Potter that night, and by midnight he stopped trying. Thinking perhaps a bite of food might help, for sixteen year old boys are always hungry, he trudged downstairs looking for the leftover turkey from dinner. As he passed the door of Edward Lovegood's study, he noticed the flickering light of the fireplace. Peeking inside he saw Luna's father settled in an overstuffed arm chair going over some papers.

Looking up from his work, Edward Lovegood smiled at the young man standing in the doorway. "Good evening, Harry, I thought I might be seeing you tonight."

"You did…why?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Well, when I said goodnight to Luna she told me about your outing to the Rain Cave. I remember the day, almost thirty years ago, when Luna's mother first took me there. I couldn't sleep that night either."

"Luna's mother took you to the Rain Cave?

"Yes, Harry, when I was not much older than you are now. I first met Elizabeth Shaw in my sixth year; she was in Ravenclaw and I was in Hufflepuff. By summer break I was hopelessly in love with her. Her parents invited me to spend the summer here with them, and one rainy day she took me to the Rain Cave."

"But what does it all mean?"

"It means that Luna, like her mother, believes in honesty. You two are becoming closer, and she wants you to know the truth about herself." Seeing Harry blush slightly, he hastily added, "It's alright Harry, I know you and Luna are fond of each other, and I couldn't be happier. Luna's been alone too much of her life."

The older man then motioned Harry to a comfortable chair opposite him. "This story started a thousand years ago, when conditions were bad for our kind throughout Europe. It was called the 'Burning Time,' and groups of Witch Hunters searched every town and village for magical folk. The Shaws were driven from village to village until they finally came to this forest. At that time a family of Wood Nymphs lived here, one of the last family bands in Britain. The Shaws asked if they might stay and make their home here, and the nymphs agreed.

Do you know anything about Wood Nymphs, Harry?"

"Only that they're supposed to be extinct."

"Yes…extinct," Edward Lovegood said sadly, "extinct for almost eight hundred years….They were remarkable creatures, Harry. Their whole world revolved around protecting their forest and the creatures that inhabited it. Back then men had even less regard for the natural world than they do today. They cut down whole forests, hunting animals to extinction and blighting the land in every way possible. But for some reason the nymphs welcomed the Shaws, and invited them to build their home in the meadow, this home.

For two hundred years the two families lived here peacefully, working together to protect the forest. The Shaws established the magical wards, designed to keep out both muggle and magical folk. But the time of the nymphs was passing, and eventually only a handful were left. It sometimes happens like that, Harry," Edward said sadly. "Their time had simply passed. As each nymph died she was laid to rest in the little valley near their home; and from each grave sprung a wild rose bush. It's said in the family that so long as there are roses in the valley, the spirits of the nymphs remain to protect the forest.

One night the last nymph came to this house to say goodbye, passing on the responsibility for the forest to the Shaws. The next morning they found her dead in the cave. The Shaws regard the protection of this forest as a sacred trust; and to consecrate this trust, every child of the family is born in the nymph's cave. As a parting gift, the nymphs endowed their cave with some of their own magic. Each child born there carries some of that magic with them; that's what makes Luna so uniquely herself.

Do you understand what I'm saying, Harry? Luna is the last of the Shaw line. Her life is bound to this forest. She must always return to it, as her children must. Any man who loves her must understand and accept that. I was raised in Diagon Alley; my father owned a shop there. I was expected to take over the family business. I had to decide what I wanted more, and I chose Elizabeth."

Harry sat silently for several minutes before looking Edward Lovegood squarely in the eyes. "Thank you, Sir, now I understand."

"You're welcome Harry. I generally work late at night. If you every feel like talking, about anything, please come down."

It was nearly 2:00 A.M., but Harry felt he could sleep at last. Thinking about what he had been told, he found that he respected Luna even more than he had before.

- o -

The next morning, as they were eating breakfast at the kitchen table, a dark object screeched through the kitchen window. It looped around the kitchen twice before landing on the table.

"Oh, isn't it adorable," Luna gushed at Ron Weasley's hyperactive owl.

"Oh yeah, adorable," Harry answered smiling, his words dripping with sarcasm.

Harry removed the parchment and began to read, his smile was soon replaced with a frown.

"_Dear Harry,_

_I hear you're stuck at Loony Lovegood's this summer. How about escaping and joining us for the rest of the summer. Hermonie and Neville are staying here until term starts. We can play some Quidditch._

_P.S. I don't know how you've stood it._

_Ron"_

Harry didn't realize it, but Luna had been reading the note over his shoulder. He could see that she was on the verge of tears.

"I'll understand if you want to go, Harry, really I will. I know he's your best friend, and you must be terribly bored here."

Harry stood and took hold of her hands, focusing her eyes onto his. "I'm not in the least bit bored and I have no intention of leaving here one minute before I have to. And one more thing, you are my best friend!" Luna's eyes widened as he spoke, and Harry realized that he meant every word of it. "Do you have a quill and some parchment?"

She brought some over to him from the sideboard, and he began to write:

"_Dear Ron,_

_Thanks for the offer, but I'm very happy here. I would love to see you, but I'm going to stay here the rest of the summer. As for Luna, she's wonderful. You shouldn't call her names, she's a good friend._

_Harry"_

And then he got an idea. "Luna, could we ask them to come over for a picnic? I'd love to see them."

"That sounds wonderful, Harry."

Quickly he added a postscript to his note: _"Why don't all of you come over for a picnic on_ _Monday. I promise you it will be a day you'll never forget."_ He quickly attached the note to the small owl's leg and sent him on his way.

"Would you like to go for a swim today?" Harry asked.

Luna immediately brightened and gave him a dazzling smile. "I'd love to."

- o -

But Ron was not smiling when he got Harry's note, in fact, he was extremely worried.

"There's something wrong, Hermione, I just don't get it. Harry always spends the end of summer with us. And what do you think he means by saying Luna's wonderful? Could she have put some kind of a spell on him?"

Hermione looked at him in exasperation, "Well I seriously doubt that. And the only way you're going to find out is if we go. I want to see Harry."

"It's just that she's so…well…loony."

"I advise you not to say that in front of Harry; he seems to have taken quite an interest in her."

Ron looked absolutely shocked by Hermione's remark, but with a sigh agreed to the picnic.

He hastily wrote an acceptance note for all four of them, and sent it off.

- o -

Later that evening, after Luna had gone to bed, Harry made his way downstairs to Edward Lovegood's study. Seeing Mr. Lovegood sitting at his desk, Harry knocked on the frame of the open door.

"Good evening, Harry. Come in and sit down." Luna's father waved him to a comfortable chair by the fire, as he himself got up and took a chair opposite.

"Excuse me for interrupting, Mr. Lovegood, but may I have a word with you," Harry asked nervously.

Puzzled by his formality, and trying to put the young man at ease, he responded, "I always have time to talk to my friends, Harry. And please call me Edward, my father was 'Mr. Lovegood.' I prefer to use first names."

"I know this is not my place, but could I talk to you about Luna?"

"You can talk to me about anything, Harry."

"Thank you, Sir…err, Edward. I've become very fond of Luna this summer, and I was wondering if something couldn't be done to make her time at school better. In order to carry out her mission, she's allowed herself to be abused and ridiculed by most of the school, especially those people in her own house." Edward Lovegood looked especially distressed by Harry's words. "Luna has taught me that I need the support of my friends, and Luna needs that same kind of support."

"What are you asking of me, Harry?" Edward Lovegood asked, distress clearly evident in his voice.

"I know I have no right to, but I'm asking you to let her other friends know the truth about the two of you. She needs them to understand and support her. I trust them with my life, and I believe you can trust them as well."

Edward Lovegood leaned back in deep thought. "You may be right, Harry. But the decision is not mine alone, I must consult with Albus." Using his wand he immediately extinguished the fire and threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace. As the green flame shot up he leaned into the fire and clearly asked for "Professor Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts School." Professor Dumbledore responded immediately, and Luna's father asked if he could join them for a few minutes. A minute later Albus Dumbledore stepped out of the flames resplendent in dark blue robes decorated with silver stars and moons.

"Won't you please have a seat, Albus, we have something we need to discuss," Edward said, motioning to a comfortable armchair next to Harry's.

"Before we start, Professor Dumbledore, I want to apologize for my behavior in your office last term. I was wrong, and I'm very sorry."

"You've changed, Harry," responded Dumbledore thoughtfully. "I too am sorry, you're becoming a man and I was still treating you as a child. I'll try to do better in the future."

"I also want to thank you for allowing me to come here for the summer. Spending time with Luna has really allowed me to get my life back on track."

"Yes, she's a remarkable young woman, Harry. I'm very glad you know the truth about her, she needs your friendship as much as I think you need hers."

"That's why we've asked you here, Albus," Edward Lovegood interjected, "Harry feels that the secret should be shared with the other students who visited the Ministry. In this particular circumstance I agree with him."

"Luna's taught me that our strength lies with our friends, Luna needs friends that know the truth and will stand by her."

Dumbledore thought about this for a long minute, and then agreed. "But I want to be present when they are told, so I can impress upon them the importance of keeping the secret."

"They'll be coming over for a picnic on Monday; could we tell them then?"

"Very good, I'll be here at ten."

The next morning Harry told Luna what he had done. At first she was somewhat apprehensive about it, fearing that her ability to help might be impaired, but Harry managed to convince her otherwise. By the weekend she was as excited about it as he himself. "It will be so nice to have some girl friends that I can really talk to; not that I can't talk to you, Harry."

"It's alright, I understand completely," Harry replied, pulling her onto his lap and kissing her neck.

Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville went by Portkey to the Lovegood home early Monday morning. They were weighed down with a large picnic hamper sent by Molly Weasley. Ron was having trouble concentrating on Harry's "problem" with Luna while the fragrant aromas of home cooked chicken and Blackberry pie was emanating from the hamper.

But the sight that greeted them when they appeared in front of the Lovegood cottage snapped Ron back to reality. Harry and Luna were standing out front holding hands and smiling.

"He's not under a spell, eh. Well what do you call that?" Ron muttered to Hermione. And even she looked a bit worried at his broad smile.

As Luna led then towards the house, Ron held Harry back. "Don't worry, mate, we'll find a cure."

"A cure? A cure for what?" Harry responded, thoroughly confused.

"Loony's put some kind of a love spell on you. But we'll find out what it is and break it," Ron said reassuringly.

Harry's eyes blazed with anger, and Ron stepped back in shock. "Don't call her that," Harry snapped savagely. "And I'm not under a spell."

Now Ron was the one who was confused. "Well if you're not under a spell, then what's up with you and Loo…err, Luna?"

"The same thing that's up with you and Hermione, but I'm not embarrassed to admit it."

"I…I don't know what you're talking about," Ron stammered. And then, quickly changing the subject, he asked: "But why Luna Lovegood, she's not really very pretty? You can do a lot better than her."

The anger once again rose in Harry's eyes and he said defiantly "There's no one in the world better than Luna, and to me she's beautiful. Don't say anything more, Ron. You're going to feel bad enough when Dumbledore tells you the truth."

"Dumbledore! Is he here?"

"Right inside waiting for us."

As they entered the living room of the Lovegood home, Ron was embarrassed to see that everyone was waiting for them. In addition to his friends, Professor Dumbledore and a grey haired man, whom he took to be Luna's father, were seated there.

"Good morning, Mr. Weasley. Thank you for joining us," Dumbledore said with a smile, motioning to a seat next to Hermione. Harry took a seat next to Luna on the sofa. No one in the room failed to notice that he took her hand. Professor Dumbledore and Edward Lovegood glanced at each other and smiled.

"Last term I made a serious mistake. I treated Harry as a child, and not as the young adult that he has become. I failed to recognize that this is your war as much as it's ours. The outcome of this conflict will dictate your futures. Last week I apologized to Harry, and today I want to apologize to you."

"The six of you have formed an unexpected, but a very powerful team. The future of our cause may very well rest upon all of you remaining united as a team. Such an alliance requires complete trust and honesty. That's why Harry requested your presence here today. It's time you learned the truth about the Lovegoods and their contribution to our cause."

"This is Edward Lovegood, Luna's Father," Professor Dumbledore said, laying a hand on the man's shoulder. "He has been a member of the Order of the Phoenix since the first war. Using the extensive contacts of the Quibbler, he's been able to gather valuable information on Lord Voldemort and his activities. At the same time, he's been able to keep the magical community informed of the truth of what's going on."

"And now you need to know the truth about Miss Lovegood as well," he said, smiling at Luna. "Would you like me to tell them, Luna?"

Luna nodded to the Headmaster.

"Miss Lovegood has been fighting a very lonely part of our war, but a very important part. For the past few years she has been playing a role for the school; one that has allowed her to gather important intelligence for the Order, but at the same time has subjected her to the ridicule and abuse of her fellow students."

"You asked her to do that?" Hermione asked in outrage.

"It's never been a question of asking, Miss Grainger; we've never been able to stop her. I've spoken to her on numerous occasions asking her to leave this work to the adult members of the Order, but to no avail. Miss Lovegood, if you haven't noticed, is a very strong and determined young woman. And at times her information has proven extremely valuable. But now I think she can be even more valuable working as a part of your team. I feel that Lord Voldemort is preparing a major offensive, and I believe that you can profit from her unique instincts. You would be very wise in following them." Dumbledore looked very pointedly at Harry.

In the past such a pointed remark would have gotten a rise out of Harry, but now he just nodded his head and smiled. Professor Dumbledore didn't need to tell Harry to listen to Luna; he had learned that lesson on his own.

"I hope you all understand that this information is strictly confidential. No one outside this group may know about it. Does anyone have a question? No? Well then enjoy your picnic; you have a lovely day for it."

The four of them were so shocked at this point that they had too many questions to narrow it down to just one, but there was one more revelation to come.

"There's something I need to tell you as well," Harry began, "so there'll be no more secrets between us. Last term all of you thought that the prophecy at the Ministry was lost. Well it wasn't. Professor Dumbledore was present when it was first made, and told me its contents." He could feel Luna squeezing his right hand supportively. "It said that either Voldemort or I must die at the hands of the other, we can't both live. That means I have to be either victim or murderer. I just wanted you to know that if you stand with me you're standing with a marked man."

When he finished speaking Luna leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and whispered, "I stand with you." His other friends immediately made it clear that they stood with him also, to the end.

With tears of gratitude in his eyes, Harry suggested that it was time to go on their picnic.

When the teens had left for the forest, Professor Dumbledore took Edward Lovegood's hand. "Now I'm certain we're going to win."

Luna led the teens out into the forest, with Harry and Ron bringing up the rear with the hampers. Ron hadn't said a word since their meeting with Dumbledore, and he looked very self conscious.

"Uh…Harry?"

"Yeah Ron."

"You were right…about Luna….Sometimes I'm such a git!"

"It's alright, I'm glad you know the truth. And Ron, I think you should talk to her too. She read your note last week….I think it hurt her."

Ron winced at the thought. "I'll talk to her today," he promised.

On the way to the waterfall, where they would have their picnic, Luna led them to a shady little glade. She surprised Hermione by asking her to close her eyes. Ron noticed the wide grin on Harry's face as Luna led Hermione into the glade; the others following close behind. Luna reached into a clump of bushes and gently removed something brown and furry, and placed it in Hermione's arms. The older girl opened her eyes to see a brown and white creature with a small crumpled horn in the center of its forehead.

It's a Snorkack, isn't it?" Hermione asked in awe.

"One of the last," Luna answered softly.

Later, as they were leaving the glade, Harry saw Hermione give Luna a tight hug, smiling as tears poured down her face.

After a cool swim and a good lunch, the six teens stretched out on the beach and relaxed. Harry noticed that they had all paired up, he and Luna, Ron and Hermione, and surprisingly, Ginny and Neville seemed quite close.

Later in the afternoon Ron and Luna had a serious talk together, at the end of which Luna kissed him lightly on the cheek. Ron was blushing like a beet, but seemed much happier with himself.

Later, as the six of them walked back, they all agreed that they had never had a better day. Somewhere along the way Luna asked if they would like to spend the night; to which the response was an immediate yes. Luna's father was delighted with the idea, and arranged to excuse himself early to work in his study, leaving the teens in possession of the living room. They talked and laughed until well past midnight.

Hermione was up at the crack of dawn the next morning, happily examining the books in the Lovegood's library. Luna had given her permission the night before and Hermione was delighted with the opportunity. She was amazed at some of the rare volumes, including some very rare papyrus scrolls from wizards in the Egyptian New Kingdom Period. The library also contained Merlin's original spell books and a diary of Rowena Ravenclaw.

"It's really fantastic," Hermione gushed, as Ron had to practically drag her into the kitchen for breakfast.

"Yes, Monie, I know," he said in a bored tone of voice, "But you have to eat now."

While they were sitting at the table eating, a large Barn Owl flew in through the open window with their school letters. Ron, Hermione and Ginny had all been named school prefects and Harry had been named as Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. At the bottom of each letter was a note written in gold ink stating that third-year students and above would need dress robes for a Yule Ball.

Luna, who had never had dress robes, said she was going to have to get them.

"My old robes are too short. Why don't the two of us go together? We want our robes to complement each other, after all." And then after a slight pause for effect, Harry asked sincerely, "You will go to the Ball with me, won't you?"

Luna blushed sweetly and answered, "I'd love to."

"Will you go with me, Hermione?" Ron asked; a bit embarrassed that Harry had put him on the spot without any preparation.

Hermione was shocked, "Ron, you're not going to wait until the last minute this year?"

"I guess Harry's a good influence on me."

"Well I guess he is. I'd love to go with you."

Everyone now turned to Neville, and they were all surprised when he confessed that he had already asked Ginny, and that she had accepted. "I wasn't going to risk someone else asking the prettiest girl in school first, and I figured we were due for another Ball this Christmas." Ginny turned pink at his complement, but leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

Harry glanced over at Ron, concerned about his possible reaction to this news; but he was pleased and was surprised to see a smile on his friend's face.

They spent the rest of the day at the pool by the waterfall. All except Hermione, that is. Nobody could pry her out of the Lovegood's Library. As they got ready to go home that afternoon, everyone said how much they had enjoyed their visit. Before leaving Ron suggest that they all meet at Diagon Alley the next morning to buy their books and school supplies. Harry was delighted at how close they had all become.

- o -

That evening, when Edward Lovegood returned home, he had a very worried look on his face. After dinner he called Harry and Luna into his study, and closed the door. The two teens sat next to each other on the sofa, while Mr. Lovegood sat across from them in an arm chair.

"I've just learned some troubling information about Lord Voldemort," he began gravely. "And Professor Dumbledore wanted Harry told immediately. My agents on the Continent have reported the recent disappearance of several renowned alchemists, as well as several members of their families. In addition to that, a number of noted historians, specializing in early Greek and British history, have also disappeared under similar circumstances. Members of the Order and the Ministry of Magic are working on this, and are providing protection to other likely targets. We've also learned that Voldemort is searching for magical relics connected to early Greece and Britain. We really don't know what he's up to, but we know it's not good."

"Have you had any recent dreams or visions, Harry? Anything that might give us a clue as to what he's after?"

"No, I've had nothing but good dreams since I've come here," Harry responded, glancing over at Luna.

"There's one other thing, but I have no idea if it has any real significance at all. A number of rare books on the Arthurian Period have been disappearing from Muggle and magical libraries over the past month. The pattern of these thefts seems to indicate a high degree of organization."

As they got up to leave the room, Edward held Harry back for a moment. "I need to speak to you privately tonight, will you come down later?"

Harry nodded.

- o -

Later that night Harry went down to Edward's study, and knocked on the closed door.

"Come in Harry….Please close the door behind you."

As Harry sat down opposite Luna's father he noticed that the older man's face was pale and drawn. "Is there something wrong, Sir?"

"Yes, Harry, I'm afraid there is," the older man replied gravely. "There's something more that I need to tell you….Something I didn't want to mention in front of Luna. This afternoon I also learned that the two agents that provided me with the information about Lord Voldemort's activities were found tortured to death. I'm reasonably sure that before they died they revealed my part in gathering this information. That means Voldemort will be looking for me very soon."

"How soon?" Harry asked in shock.

"I really have no idea. But if there's one thing I've learned about him, it's that he doesn't act impulsively. He'll take his time with planning, and then act decisively."

"Then I'll stay here with you," Harry said firmly.

"No! It's important that you go back to school and complete your training. I don't want you or Luna here. I've taken all possible precautions and Professor Dumbledore has assigned several members of the Order for my protection."

"Why don't you come to Hogwarts with us? You could publish the Quibbler from there, and you would be safe."

"I can't run away and hide, Harry." Edward said sadly. "I have a job to do, just as you do. If he comes for me I'll face him, and I pray I'll make my daughter proud."

"But I don't want anything to happen to you," Harry said, his voice cracking and tears rising in his eyes.

"Well don't put me in my grave quite yet," Edward responded with a grim smile, "I'm still planning on bouncing my grandchildren on my knee someday….But just in case I can't, I want to ask you to watch over Luna. Arthur and Molly Weasley have agreed to raise Luna as one of their own children should the need arise; but she needs more than that, she needs you Harry."

"I'll always be there for Luna, I promise you," Harry said with grim determination.

"That's all I needed to hear. Now I can do as I must."

As Harry stood up to leave he suddenly turned around and looked at the older man. "Please don't leave us," he said, and then quickly left the room.

Edward watched him go and smiled to himself, then said under his breath: "If I had a son…"

- o -

As Harry lay in his bed later that night, staring at the ceiling, he knew he would never be able to sleep. The silver moonlight flooded into the room through the open windows, making it almost as bright as day. Harry turned over to face the door to Luna's room. How could she ever stand her father's death? In his heart he knew that she couldn't, she loved him too much. Harry made up his mind to talk to Dumbledore as soon as he returned to Hogwarts; there had to be something more he could do.

Suddenly the door swung silently open and a dark form entered his room. Harry recognized it immediately as Grimmy as she walked over to the side of the bed. The wolf put its front paws on the side of the bed and pulled herself up until she was hovering over Harry. She looked down at him and whimpered with concern. She then dropped down and ran back to the door, turning back at the last minute to look at him. The message was clear, and Harry jumped out of bed and followed.

As he peered through the open door into Luna's room he saw her in her bed bathed in silver moonlight. He could hear her sobbing, and see her trembling slightly. He silently walked over to the side of her bed and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?" he whispered. As she looked up at him he could see silver tears on her cheeks, and his heart cracked. He sat down on the bed and took her in his arms. She buried her head in his chest and continued to cry, her warm tears soaking his pajama top. Harry gently stroked her back and kissed the top of her head as he tried to calm her down. Finally she was cried out and there were only sobs left.

She pulled back and looked up into his face, her eyes red from crying. "I'm alright now Harry. I really am."

"You know, don't you?"

"I was in the kitchen making him a cup of hot chocolate; he does so love it. I heard the two of you talking through the flue in the kitchen fireplace. It's connected to the fireplace in his study."

"Look Lu, you could talk to him. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would let him publish the Quibbler from Hogwarts. He would be safe there."

She smiled at him wistfully, and laid a gentle hand on his cheek. "I must let him do what his duty requires." She said sadly. "And I must never let him know that I know."

Harry looked into her silver-grey eyes and marveled at this young girl. "You're so brave." He whispered, and kissed her gently. As he stood up to leave he looked back into her sad eyes, knowing full well that she wouldn't sleep a wink. Her eyes held such courage and such sadness that it tore at his heart. She was still holding his hand.

He stood there for a minute, thinking, and then said: "Move over." She looked up at him questioningly for a moment, and then smiled slightly and scooted over. Harry lifted the covers and climbed in beside her. He wrapped his arms around her protectively and she laid her head on his chest. Just as she was drifting off to sleep she whispered: "Thank you, Harry."

As Harry himself was falling asleep he made up his mind that he wanted Luna to always be a part of his life.

- o -

When Harry awoke the next morning he found that he was looking into a pair of beautiful silver eyes.

"Good morning, sleepy head," she giggled. "I didn't think you were ever going to wake up."

Harry yawned and stretched, bring an arm down around Luna's shoulders. "I didn't want to wake up," he said sleepily, "I always sleep so well when I'm with you."

Luna smiled, and colored slightly. "Well, it's time to get up. We're meeting Ron and Hermione at Diagon Alley in two hours."

"Aw, can't we sleep for another hour." He said, giving her that sad puppy-dog look that always melted her heart.

"Well, okay. But I think that I should tell you that Dad sometimes likes to look in on me in the morning."

The look of shock and fear that appeared on Harry's face was something that Luna would always remember. The young boy practically flew out of the bed, caught his foot in the ruffle of the bedspread, and fell face first on the floor with a loud thud.

Harry looked up from the floor where he had fallen and saw Luna on the bed, rolling back and forth, laughing uncontrollably. She was pointing at him with one hand and holding her midsection with the other, laughing until tears ran down her face.

"What's so funny?" He managed to spit out, as he slowly got to his feet.

"You are!" She managed to gasp, her eyes sparkling with tears of mirth. "You looked like a frightened Snorkack. You know Dad always goes to work at seven, and now it's nearly nine," she giggled, pointing at the clock on the bedside table.

Harry looked first at Luna, then at the clock, and then back at Luna. Then he started to laugh as well. She had gotten him, and she had gotten him good.

"Alright Lu, you got me." Harry said, standing over her. "Now it's my turn," and with that he dived onto the bed and started to tickle her. They rolled around on the bed laughing for some time until they stopped and stared into each others eyes.

"Do we really have to go?" Harry asked.

"If we don't, they'll come looking for us," answered Luna breathlessly.

"Well. If we must we must." Then after a pause he observed, "I see you're feeling better this morning."

Luna looked suddenly quite embarrassed, and lowered her gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry, Harry." She mumbled. "I lost faith in Dad…and…in you. I was very wrong. I know Dad will come through this alright, and I know that you'll win in the end. I have faith in you." She said with conviction, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "And Harry…thank you for last night."

Harry pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. "I love you so much, Lu."


	4. Their Time

**Disclaimer:** The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **My special thanks to _aliceravenclaw_ and _John Adams_ for all their help in beta reading this story and keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for their many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been.

**CHAPTER 4: THEIR TIME**

Luna's father had made the teens a portkey for their trip to Diagon Alley. They arrived at the Leaky Cauldron shortly after 10:00 to find Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville already waiting at a table in the dining room.

"A little late there, mate, we were getting worried. You have a bad night?" Ron asked with concern. No one failed to notice that Harry blushed slightly, and Ron would be no friend at all if he failed to pick up on it.

"Ah, I see." Ron continued, snickering. "Get tied up in a little early morning snogging, did you?"

Now both Harry and Luna were showing some color.

"Don't pay any attention to him, Harry," Ginny interjected with a giggle. "Ron's just jealous because it wasn't him and Hermione."

Now it was Ron's turn to blush, as he scowled at his little sister.

Harry and Luna sat down at the table and looked around the deserted dining room, deciding that it was safe for them to talk. "We have something important to tell you." Harry said in a serious tone as he took Luna's hand. "That is if you're interested in what Voldemort is up to."

A hush fell over the group as Harry and Luna took turns relating the details that Edward Lovegood had given them about Lord Voldemort's recent activities. Finally Harry looked at Luna, and she nodded her head slightly.

"There's one other thing," Harry began carefully. "Mr. Lovegood thinks Voldemort knows about his work for the Order, and is going to come after him." He felt Luna's hand tighten in his, though she said nothing, and he hastily added. "But Dumbledore has assigned several members of the Order to his protection." A pall seemed to fall over the group, as each was lost in his or her own thoughts and fears. Hermione reached over and took Luna's other hand reassuringly.

It was Neville who brought them back to reality. "Well I'm not going to let him threaten my friends or their parents. What can we do to stop him?"

Harry was grateful to Neville for his timely change of subject. "Well I think that the first thing that we had better do is try to figure out what he's looking for and why."

"Well, I think we have some good clues," Hermione began. "He's kidnapping historians specializing in ancient Greece and ancient Britain at the time of King Arthur, so there must be a connection between the two countries. The book thefts reinforces the idea that he's searching for information about the period of King Arthur, and the search for relics shows it may be a specific object or objects that he's looking for. Voldemort hates everything Muggle, so it's likely a magical object and it probably came from ancient Greece."

"Whoa there, Hermione. Aren't you making a lot of assumptions here?" Ron asked in amazement.

She gave the boy a look of mild annoyance. "It's simple logic, Ron. It all has to be connected."

"And how does the kidnapping of Alchemists play into your theory?" Ron asked.

"Well I haven't quite worked that out yet, but I will," she responded defensively.

"Could he be trying to create another Philosopher's Stone?" Neville asked tentatively.

"That's right," Ginny agreed. "You-know-who has always wanted immortality."

"Let's settle this right now." Harry said, a little more hotly than he had intended. "If we're going to fight him let's call him by his right name. It's Voldemort."

"Well actually," Luna said dreamily, "His real name is Tom Riddle. If you call him Voldemort, you're allowing him to choose what he wants to be called. I prefer to simply call him Tom. I'm sure he hates his muggle name."

"Your right," Harry said in surprise, "He's only Tom."

"But back to the subject of what Tom is up to; could he be trying to create another Philosopher's Stone?" Neville asked again.

"I think it unlikely," Hermonie began. "Nicolas Flamel worked on the formula for decades before he created the Philosopher's Stone. When he died, three years ago, the secret was lost. Nevertheless, the search for immortality is one of the primary goals of alchemy, so we should look into that possibility."

"Maybe we should start by getting a list of the alchemists and historians who've been kidnapped, and then find out as much as we can about what their areas of study and their current projects are," Luna suggested. "We should probably also get a list of the books that have been stolen. We can stop by the Quibbler office and get both lists. It's possible that whatever relic Voldemort is looking for might be described in those books."

"Good idea!" Hermione said, looking impressed. "We can check in the Hogwart's Library for all of that information. Would you like to help me, Luna?"

"I would love to." Luna responded shyly.

"How about Neville and I check out the book titles while you and Luna work on the background of the victims?" Ginny asked.

"That's great, but what can Harry and I do? Ron asked.

"We should keep an eye on Malfoy. Given the fact that his Father is a Death Eater, he might very well be working with Tom, and maybe we can get a clue by tailing him. I can watch him between classes and, since you're a prefect, you can watch him after curfew." Harry suggested.

The six teens had talked for nearly two hours until they noticed that the pub was starting to fill up for the lunch rush, and they started to get some curious glances. They agreed to continue their discussion on the Hogwarts express, and Neville volunteered to arrive early and get them a compartment.

"Where do we go now?" Neville asked.

"Luna and I need new dress robes; how about the rest of you?" Harry asked.

"Mine are fine, but I desperately need new quills," Hermione said.

"How can that be?" Ron asked in an astonished tone. "You got six new quills at Christmas."

"Well they don't last forever, I wore them out."

"Ginny and I will go with you. We both need quills and parchment." Neville declared.

"Well I need new robes, so I'll chaperone you two." Ron declared with a wicked grin, and completely ignored the dirty look that Harry gave him.

"OK, let's meet at Florish and Blotts in an hour to get our books."

Harry, Ron and Luna walked over to Madam Milkin's Robe Shop and began the process of selection and fitting. Luna selected pale blue robes, while Harry selected a deeper blue to complement hers. Luna finished her fitting first, and settled down to wait for the boys in the front of the shop. While she was waiting, Pansy Parkinson and some of her Slytherin friends came in to get their own dress robes fitted

"Why are you wasting money on dress robes, Lovegood?" Pansy said is disgust. "No one's going to ask you to the Yule Ball." In response to Pansy's remark the other Slytherins started to laugh openly.

Harry and Ron walked out of the fitting room at that moment, startling the group of Slytherins. Harry walked over and put a protective arm around Luna's shoulders and kissed her tenderly on the cheek.

"Thanks for being so concerned, Pansy, but Luna's going to the Yule Ball with me. Aren't you? And every dance is mine."

But before Luna could answer Ron spoke up. "Whoo there one minute, mate. Luna's already promised a dance to me. After all, you can't expect the prettiest girl at the ball to give you every dance."

Harry looked at Ron suspiciously, "Well…okay, but only one dance."

Pansy's jaw had dropped to the ground. In shocked disbelief she looked from Harry to Ron to a smiling Luna. But before she could think of anything to say, Harry spoke again.

"So, Pansy," Harry began casually, "Has anyone asked you to the ball yet?"

Pansy simply glared at them, and turning on her heels, stormed out. The other Slytherins followed in her wake.

With her eyes full of mirth, Luna kissed both Harry and Ron on the cheek. "Thank you both so much!"

"It was our pleasure, believe me." Harry declared.

"It sure was, but I still want that dance." Ron responded.

On their way to Florish & Blotts the three of them stopped to look at the new racing broom in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies. The Firebolt Plus was being touted as the fastest broom ever made, and it certainly looked it. It had an amazing total of twenty-four protective spells on it, covering everything from the hexes of opponents to accidental lightning strikes. And the Midnight Blue color of the display model was striking. The Firebolt Plus was the first racing broom available in either a wood grain finish or in a range of attractive colors. The twenty coats of diamond-dust lacquer made the surface incredibly hard, and impervious to almost anything.

Ron, who followed new broom developments like a fanatic, told them that Witch Broom Magazine had reported on the trials of the Firebolt Plus in their latest issue. "It has thirty-five percent less turning radius than the old Firebolt, reaches maximum speed in 4.3 seconds versus 5.7 seconds, and is able to make a totally vertical take off."

"How does the braking compare to the old Firebolt," Luna asked.

"It's been greatly improved, twenty-five percent better at maximum speed," Ron replied.

"How many braking spells does it have," she asked, showing an obvious interest.

Both Ron and Harry seemed quite impressed by her knowledge of the subject.

"It has a total of five braking spells." Ron answered. "Two forward, two reverse, and one emergency breaking spell."

Harry looked at the new broom with longing. He would love to have it, although he knew there was absolutely nothing wrong with his old broom. Still, he thought, looking at the broom with hungry eyes.

- o -

Harry had just found the last book on his list, "Advanced Potions, Grade Six." The thought of another term with Professor Snape was not the happiest of thoughts, but he knew he would need Advanced Potions if he hoped to become an Auror. Somehow, after all that had happened last term, he was beginning to question his decision to pursue that career path. In truth, Harry didn't know what he wanted to do, or even if he'd have a chance to do it. Pushing these thoughts out of his mind, he went in search of the others.

He saw Luna standing over by the quills and parchment. She picked out two new quills, and then hesitated. She looked into her money bag and carefully counted out the silver Sickles and bronze Knuts. She frowned slightly and reluctantly put one of the quills back. Harry felt an overwhelming sense of sadness; life could be so unfair. It just wasn't right that good people like the Lovegoods and Weasleys should have to do without. He wanted to go right over and fill Luna's hands with gold Galleons, but he knew that she would never accept them. But thinking about it, there just might be another way.

He walked over to Luna and took her hand in his. "Almost done?" He asked.

"Almost." She said smiling.

"Luna," Harry said hesitantly, "I was wondering if you could help me with something? I just don't know how I'm going to fit all these books into my trunk; it's full of junk now. I was wondering if you could take my books from last term. I'll never use them again, and with the exception of the Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook, they will be using the same texts again this year."

She looked up at him with her misty silver eyes and smiled ever so slightly. She laid a warm hand on his cheek and said softly: "You're so sweet, Harry, you really are. But it will be alright…"

"It's not that, Luna." He said, interrupting. "It's just that they are really heavy, and I'll never need them again, and, and…and I really want to help." He blurted out.

Luna looked into his eyes for a long minute, and then she smiled again. "Thank you Harry, that does help."

Ron came up behind them at that moment. "Are you two ready for lunch yet? I'm starving."

Harry grinned widely. "Absolutely! Today's my treat." Then turning to Luna he asked: "Are you about ready?"

"I will be as soon as I get one more quill." She said, and turned back to the display.

Ron watched Harry's eyes as he watched Luna pick out her new quill. "Boy, mate, you really have got it bad, don't you?"

Harry blushed slightly. "I guess I have." He responded with a smile.

They had a wonderful late lunch at the Leaky Cauldron and then used a return Portkey to get home, agreeing to meet at the station the next morning for the train ride to Hogwarts. As Harry fell asleep that night he thought about what a wonderful summer it had been.

- o -

An important meeting with Professor Dumbledore prevented Edward Lovegood from seeing his daughter and Harry off on the Hogwarts Express. He had arranged with Arthur Weasley to take the two teens to the station along with his own children. Arthur and Molly were delighted, for it gave them a chance to say goodbye to Harry, who had become like another son to them.

On the morning of September 1st they levitated their trunks down the stairs and out into the front yard of the Lovegood's house. As they waited for Luna's father to come out, Harry cast his eyes around at the old house, the meadow, and the dark forest that surrounded it. Harry really hated to leave. Normally he couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts, but this summer was different. In the short time he'd been here he had really come to love this place. The friendly old house, the tree-shaded paths through the woods, and the flower covered meadow had all come to mean so much to him. But as he looked over at Luna, as she kneeled down to tell Grimmy to be a good girl, he realized that as long as she was coming with him he could never be really unhappy.

Edward Lovegood came out the front door with a leather-bound book in his hand. "After you use this as a Portkey will you please give it to Hermione?" He began, handing the book to Harry. "I think she'll enjoy reading it." Then he took his daughter in his arms and hugged her tightly; both of them holding the embrace a long while. Harry could see that in spite of their brave words they both feared that they might never see each other again, that this might be their final goodbye.

As tears welled up in his eyes, Edward Lovegood kissed his daughter on the cheek and chokingly told her to be a good girl and that he would see her at Christmas.

Wiping tears from her own eyes she told him that she would be good and asked him to be careful too.

Then he turned to Harry. The time for handshakes between the two had long passed. Over the last few weeks Harry had come to regard Edward Lovegood as almost a second father, and Edward regarded Harry as the son he never had. They hugged each other tightly and Edward whispered in Harry's ear: "Take good care of our girl." Harry pulled back slightly, and looking the older man square in the eyes, he responded hoarsely "Always!"

A minute later the Portkey activated and took them, their trunks, and Hedwig's cage to The Burrow. Harry could see that Luna wanted to cry, but she put on a brave face for the Weasleys. As they walked towards the house Harry took her hand and gave it a squeeze, letting her know without words that he understood how she felt and that he was there for her. She looked into his eyes and gave him a weak smile.

Their trunks were quickly transferred to limousines provided by the Ministry, and they were off to King's Cross Station. Harry sat next to Luna and held her hand the whole way. He noticed that they had four aurors riding with them in case of trouble, a sure sign that he was still Voldemort's number one target. That didn't bother him nearly as much as the fact that Edward Lovegood might now be number two. Luna apparently noticed his concern, and whispered, "It will be alright." Her breath felt warm in his ear, and he felt his muscles relax. 'She always makes me feel better,' he thought, and turning he kissed her on the cheek.

At the station they were quickly escorted through the barrier and onto the train. They managed to find a compartment to themselves and settled down. Ron, Hermione and Ginny went forward to meet with the other Prefects while Harry bought enough Chocolate Frogs, Cauldron Cakes and Bernie Botts Beans to last them the whole trip.

Ron, Hermione and Ginny had just returned when Draco Malfoy came sauntered into their compartment, an annoying smirk on his face. Harry's hand tightened on his wand and he watched Ron do the same in the seat opposite.

"It's nice to see that you've found yourself a suitable girlfriend, Potter," Draco said with his annoying drawl. Harry felt his muscles tense, and tried to think of the worst possible hex that he could use. As he looked around the compartment he could see the others preparing themselves also. Malfoy continued, "She should be perfect for you."

Harry replied tensely, "You're right for once, Malfoy, she is."

Malfoy smirked again and turned around to face Ron. "Well Weasley, how does it feel to know your hero likes someone like Loony?" Malfoy asked with contempt. Ron was struggling to get to his feet, with Hermione using both hands to keep him seated.

Harry had just raised his wand and aimed it at Malfoy's head when Luna put a gentle hand on it. He looked at her and she gently shook her head and then looked down. Following her eyes, Harry noticed that she had taken the wand from behind her ear and held it in her lap. Raising his eyes he saw her give him a mischievous smile, and then she mumbled some barely audible words. At the same time she gave her wand a slight swish and flick. Everyone in the compartment, except Ron and Malfoy, were watching her actions. Harry turned to Malfoy, eagerly anticipating what would happen. At first he didn't notice anything, but then he realized that Malfoy's ears seemed to be getting longer. And his hair was darkening and getting coarser and actually seemed to be growing over his ears.

The others had apparently noticed it too. Ginny had buried her face in Neville's shoulder, and was shaking with laughter. Hermione had turned to look out the window, unsuccessfully trying to suppress a smile, and was taking the greatest interest in the mountains and trees as they went by. Ron, with nowhere to turn, was just staring at Malfoy's face. He was trying so hard not to laugh that his face was turning bright red; and Harry was certain that his best friend was going to explode. Finally Malfoy got frustrated by the suppressed snickers and stormed out the door, completely unaware of any change. The minute the door closed the compartment was enveloped in gales of laughter.

"What in the world did you do to him, Lu?" Harry managed to choke out.

"Actually, I just finished reading 'A Midsummer Nights Dream' by that muggle writer William Shakespeare, and I thought Draco would look just darling as a donkey."

More laughter swept through the compartment.

"You better watch out for this one, mate. She's bloody brilliant." Ron spat out.

"I know," Harry responded with mock fear.

A few minutes later things had pretty much gotten back to normal. Hermione and Ginny were studying a large leather-bound book on ancient Runes, Luna was reading the latest issue of the Quibbler and Harry and Ron were just settling down to a game of Wizard's Chess.

Suddenly the compartment door burst open and Draco Malfoy came charging in. His ears were now a good twelve inches long, sticking straight up in the air. His nose had lengthened considerably and he had a fine mane of course black hair.

"You're dead, all of you. Do you hear me, dead?" He shouted out, wincing in pain, and then he stormed out.

Harry and Ron both fell on the floor laughing, and Ginny grabbed hold of Neville to keep him from falling. When Ron was able to get enough air to speak again, he managed to choke out: "That bloke just has no sense of humor."

"Yes, but did you see the look on his face? Harry asked more seriously. "He was really hurting."

Without looking up from the Quibbler, Luna said serenely, "Um…that would probably be his tail."

"Tail? What tail," Ron asked, more than a little confused.

"Well, actually, that spell comes with a tail. I really should tell him to cut a hole in the back of his trousers and wear his robes. I imagine it gets a bit painful otherwise."

With that remark the compartment descended into complete hysteria that lasted until the train arrived at Hogwarts.

- o -

As they pulled into the Hogwarts Station the teens gathered their belongings and prepared to disembark. The station itself was complete pandemonium, with owls flying back and forth, first-year students trying to find where they were supposed to go, and older students walking to the carriages that would take them to the castle. Hagrid was standing in the middle of all the chaos like an oak tree, calling all the first-years to him. Harry took Luna's hand so they wouldn't be separated, and started across the platform. As they did so, a hooded figure rushed roughly past them toward the carriages.

Harry saw Seamus Finnigan, who was standing a few feet away, raise his wand and case a spell on the figure. Suddenly the hood popped off to reveal a donkey's head. Seamus started shouting: "Colin, take the picture, take the picture!" Harry noticed Colin Chreevy with his camera for the first time. Colin started to snap one picture after another as Draco Malfoy struggled against the spell to get his hood up, while everyone else in the station had burst into laughter. Finally giving up, Draco dashed to the nearest carriage, knocking aside two third-year Ravenclaw girls in the process. Harry later learned that upon his arrival at the castle Draco had made a dash for the Hospital wing, and demanded that Madam Pomfrey undo the spell immediately. After much grumbling about student horseplay, she did just that.

Harry and Luna entered the Great Hall hard in hand, ignoring the surprised expressions on the faces of some of their classmates, and reluctantly separating to go to their own house tables. Professor McGonagall led a group of frightened first-years up the center aisle to the Teacher's Table. "Were we really that small?" Harry whispered to Ron. Ron merely shrugged his shoulders.

The Sorting Hat was brought forward and sang its song, once again warning them that difficult times lay ahead and that the only hope for their beloved Hogwarts was if they all came together as one to face the common enemy. And then the sorting began

Stacy Adams, a small red-haired girl with freckles, was the first to be called. She had a look of absolute terror on her face as the hat was lowered over her eyes. The hat thought for a moment before calling out "Hufflepuff!" She broke into a happy grin and ran to meet the members of her new House.

Geri Bumpass was a sour-looking girl with straight black hair that somehow reminded Harry of Professor Snape. The hat quickly placed her in Slytherin House, one of the few so assigned that night.

And so they worked their way through the alphabet. The last student to be sorted was an oriental boy with glasses named Robert Yoon, and he was sorted into Gryffindor. He bounced off the stool to the applause of his fellow Gryffindors, and took a seat with the other first-years.

Harry was following the sorting this year with more than his usual interest, and it seemed to him that Gryffindor was receiving more than the usual number of students, while Slytherin received very few new students. Harry regarded this as a good sign; maybe people were finally beginning to take the threat seriously, and were resolved to fight it.

Then Professor Dumbledore rose to make the start of term announcements, and declared that during the upcoming term he would be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Some of the students looked at each other with obvious concern, wondering if such an elderly wizard was up to such a challenge. But Harry, Ron and Hermione just looked at each other and smiled. They had seen Dumbledore battle Voldemort at the Ministry, and knew he was capable of almost anything. It was going to be a very interesting year indeed.

After a wonderful dinner, during which Harry consumed large amounts of chicken legs, fried potatoes, and custard tarts, all he could think of was bed. As the five of them got up to go, Professor McGonagall came over and said rather sternly that Professor Dumbledore wished to see them in his office at once; and Miss Lovegood as well.

As they walked past the Slytherin table Malfoy said with a smirk, "You're going to get it now!"

Ron responded with a loud "Hee-Haw" sound that caused the entire room to break up in laughter, and Malfoy scowled at him dangerously.

- o -

As Harry entered Professor Dumbledore's office he noticed with some satisfaction that everything that he had destroyed the previous term had been repaired. Professor Dumbledore was seated behind the desk awaiting them. He waved his hand and six comfortable chintz chairs appeared before his desk.

"Will you all please be seated?" He said with a smile. "I hope you all had a pleasant summer; I know that Mr. Potter and Miss Lovegood did."

Harry and Luna both blushed slightly at the remark but nodded, and the laughter that followed lightened the mood in the room considerably.

"I was visiting the Hospital Wing this evening and had an opportunity to see how effectively you've learned your transfiguration lessons." He said looking at them over the top of his half-moon shaped glasses. "But I'm afraid Mr. Malfoy didn't appreciate the humor of the situation, as I did."

"I did it, Professor Dumbledore," said Luna respectfully.

"That's not true, Professor, I did it," Harry hastily interjected.

Within seconds all six of them were claiming responsibility for Draco Malfoy's transformation.

Professor Dumbledore raised a calming hand and quieted them down. "It's quite alright; I have no intension of taking any action in this matter. First of all, you were not on school grounds when the incident took place. And second, I'm quite sure that Mr. Malfoy deserved what he received. However, I would suggest discretion when dealing with Mr. Malfoy in the future."

I've asked you here tonight to discuss several important matters. First is the matter of your training. The five of you have chosen to make your stand with Harry, so it's important that all of you receive more advanced offensive and defensive training. We are scheduling the six of you for special Auror training under the direction of Nymphadora Tonks and Alastor Moody. In order to have adequate time for this training, and for your regular school work as well, I think you should all challenge your Defense Against the Dark Arts class for this year. When you pass the challenge test, as I have no doubt you will, it will give you a free period each day. You can use that time for your homework and then meet with Tonks and Professor Moody in the evening.

"If we can simply challenge a class to pass it, why has Hermione never done it?" Harry asked.

"As a matter of fact, Miss Granger was given the opportunity to challenge all her classes in her third and fourth years. On both occasions she declined the opportunity."

"But why?" asked Harry, addressing Hermione.

Looking down at the floor she replied in a whisper. "You and Ron are my best friends. I didn't want to leave you behind."

The office fell silent for a moment as Harry reached over and took her hand. He felt so lucky to have her as a friend. Looking across he saw that Ron was holding her other hand, and was feeling exactly the same way.

"The second matter is that I would like to better coordinate your activities with our own this year. Would you consider discussing your plans with me?"

Harry considered the Headmaster for a moment. He was certainly trying to be more open with them, and he did authorize Luna's Father to give them all the information that the Order had so far collected; but there still remained that teenage suspicion of adults and their motives. Harry finally decided that they had to trust each other.

"Right now all we can do is use the clues we've received to try to figure out what Voldemort is after. Hermione and Luna are going to research the background and specialties of the Alchemists and Historians who have been kidnapped. We have a list of the books that have been stolen, and Neville and Ginny are going to look for them in the Hogwarts Library. And Ron and I are going to shadow Malfoy. We believe he may be working with Voldemort, so maybe he can lead us to something."

"Perhaps I can help you there." Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "Mr. Malfoy is a Slytherin Prefect, and as such is entitled to be out after curfew, while you are not. I will inform the teachers and prefects that the six of you are working on a special project for me, and are entitled to be out after curfew and may access the restricted section of the library."

"I hope that if you find out anything you'll share that information with me and not try to pursue the matter alone."

"I learned my lesson last year, Professor; we'll share anything we find with you." Harry said sincerely.

"That's good, and now to the main reason that I've called you here tonight. The time has come to reveal a prophecy concerning you six."

"Another prophecy?" Harry asked in astonishment.

"Yes, Harry. This prophecy was made a thousand years ago when Hogwarts was first founded. It was made by Rowena Ravenclaw herself, and it was her wish that it be kept in the custody of the Hogwarts Headmaster until the time that it was revealed." Professor Dumbledore then produced a yellowed parchment scroll. "This document has been handed down from Headmaster to Headmaster until this day, and now it comes to the six of you."

"Why weren't we told about this last year?" Harry asked curiously.

"Because you six had not then established the close bonds of friendship and trust necessary to understand it, and now you have." Dumbledore then unrolled the scroll and began to read"

"When wrong threatens right, and our world hangs in the balance,

A chosen one will step forward to take up the banner of the just.

Five will fight at his side, with love and loyalty as their armor,

And the six will stand together as one.

Together they will push back the shadows of darkness,

And bring a peace to our world that will last for a thousand years."

"That means we'll win in the end, doesn't it?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, in the end evil will be vanquished." And then Dumbledore hesitated for a moment before adding, "But there's always a price to be paid."

The teens looked at him curiously, but he dismissed them before they could ask anything.

- o -

After the six had left the room, Professor McGonagall got up and went to stand by Dumbledore's side. "You didn't tell them the last line of the prophecy?" She asked.

Dumbledore suddenly looked very old indeed. "No…I didn't. What good would it do?"

"They do have a right to know."

"They're children. We're robbing them of their childhood to save our world. Isn't that enough? They're starting to listen to their hearts, and to find love. I want them to have this. It's important that they have this last time of innocence, and I won't take it from them," the old man said with emotion. He looked up at Professor McGonagall and said, "I don't want them interfered with, this is their time."

"Do you mean to give them a pass on the rules?" She asked with some surprise.

"That's exactly what I mean. Is that too much for us to give, considering what they are going to give for us?"

On the verge of tears McGonagall choked out, "No Albus…no…not too much at all….I'll see to it." Tears were now flowing freely down her cheeks. "Will you excuse me Professor?" And she fled the office.

The old man put his head in his hands and sighed.


	5. Flights of Fancy

**Disclaimer:** The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **My special thanks to _aliceravenclaw_ and _John Adams_ for all their help in beta reading this story and keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for their many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been.

**CHAPTER 5: FLIGHTS OF FANCY**

Harry came down to breakfast a little early on Monday morning; his first class was Advanced Potions with Professor Snape and the last thing he wanted was to be late. He sat down next to Hermione and instinctively looked over at Ravenclaw table. There he saw Luna sitting alone, none of her Ravenclaw housemates wanting to have anything to do with her. Harry felt his temper rising, but he was determined to control it. He got up and walked over to where she was sitting, gave her a warm smile and extended his hand to her. "Come over and have breakfast with us," he said gently. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw Prefect, stand up and start to walk over. Harry cast her a dangerous look and she froze in her tracks. She must have realized that discretion was sometimes the better part of valor, because she quietly returned to her seat.

Luna gratefully took Harry's hand and they walked back to Gryffindor table together. Just as they sat down, Ron Weasley came in through the heavy doors and took a seat with them.

"You're going to be late for class this morning." Hermione told him in a scolding tone of voice.

"Oh no I won't, I have a free period this morning. But I'll be thinking about you and Harry, down in the dungeon with Snape." Ron replied, looking rather smug.

"What are you going to do with your free period?" Harry asked with envy.

"Well I wanted to practice some Quidditch, but there's no one to play with. So I guess I'll just sit around the common room."

"I'll play with you." Luna volunteered.

Ron looked at her rather dubiously, but then remembered that she was his friend now. "Sure, that would be great." Ron said.

So as Harry and Hermione walked over to the stone steps that led down to the dungeons, Ron and Luna went up to their dormitories to get their brooms. They met in the courtyard and walked out to the Quidditch pitch together. Looking over at the broom that Luna carried on her shoulder, Ron thought in despair, 'This is going to be terrible, she's got an old Clean Sweep 5. She'll be lucky if she can get it off the ground.'

Luna's broom was uniquely her own. It was painted bright orange with yellow stars, and was indeed an ancient Clean Sweep 5, a broom that hadn't been manufactured in more than thirty years. And yet she carried it proudly as they walked together.

"Why don't I play Keeper and you play Chaser, and you try to get the Quaffle past me." Ron suggested.

Luna agreed and picked up the Quaffle. She then mounted her broom and took off. Ron took up his normal position at the hoops.

Luna soared high into the sky and came sweeping down at high speed towards the goal. She was aiming at the top hoop, and Ron prepared to block. Then, at the very last moment, she dropped vertically down five meters and shot through the bottom hoop. Ron couldn't believe it, how had she done that? Was he really that out of practice?

"Let's try that again, shall we?" Ron called out.

Luna zoomed down to the ground and picked up the Quaffle. She soared halfway down the pitch, turned around, and headed back. This time he was ready for her tricks, as Ron centered himself in the middle of the goal. She flew swiftly towards him, and then he realized in shock that she was flying upside-down! Yet she continued straight as an arrow, until Ron was certain that they were going to collide. Suddenly she shot up into the sky. Ron rose with her, trying to figure out her maneuver. Then in horror he realized what she was doing. She was trying to execute a tight 360 degree inside turn, one of the most difficult maneuvers in Quidditch.

'She'll never make it.' He thought in horror. 'That Clean Sweep will stall out halfway through the turn.'

But she continued the maneuver, rotating on her broom as she did so. She came out of her turn ten meters below Ron and threw the Quaffle through the bottom hoop. Ron came zooming down beside her, completely overwhelmed by what he had seen.

"That was the most incredible thing that I've ever seen." He blurted out. "All the books say that maneuver is impossible with a Clean Sweep. How in the world did you ever learn it?"

"I've practiced Chaser tactics in the meadow at home since I was a little girl. My Mother was a Chaser for Ravenclaw; and I had hoped to get on the team too."

"Well why aren't you? Ravenclaw could really use you."

Luna looked down at her hands and replied sadly. "I signed up, but they said they didn't want me. They wouldn't even let me try out."

Ron remembered how badly he had treated Luna the previous term; and now to hear how her own housemates treated her made him feel terrible. Reaching over he put his hand on hers and said gently: "We practice three times a week. Will you come out and practice with us? I could really use your help."

"I'd like that." She said softly.

"Would you like to try it again?" He asked. "This time I'll be ready for you."

"Sure." She replied. She picked up the Quaffle and shot back up the pitch. It was at that moment that Ron saw Malfoy walk onto the field below, watching them.

'Oh, great! Malfoy will never let me live this down.' Ron thought, eyeing Luna as she flew down the pitch. He felt rather certain that Luna was likely to score on him again.

When she returned she was using a rolling tactic that Ron had never seen before. She looped up ten meters and then down ten meters as she swiftly approached the goal. At the last moment he caught her eye and she nodded downwards. Somehow he knew that she was signaling the bottom hoop. Just as she reached the top of her next loop she threw the Quaffle down at the bottom hoop. Ron shot down and caught the Quaffle at the last second. He threw it back to her and she soared back down the pitch.

When she came back it was straight as an arrow and at top speed. Ron watched her face and saw her indicate the top hoop. At the last moment she dropped several meters, a move that Ron mirrored, and then just as quickly jumped upwards and took her shot. Again Ron was there and caught the Quaffle. He realized that she was deliberately making him look good in front of Malfoy.

Luna circled around and came up beside Ron as he shouted down, "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"Just a little walk," Malfoy responded casually, and walked back towards the castle.

"Thanks." Ron said sincerely, smiling at Luna.

"Your welcome" Luna said softly. "We better start back; second period will be starting shortly."

"Yeah." Ron said reluctantly. They walked back to the castle together, talking about Quidditch the whole way. Both of them had enjoyed the practice immensely, and agreed to meet again the following week.

- o -

When lunchtime arrived Ron and Harry made their way to the Great Hall, where they sat down on either side of Hermione, Ginny and Neville sat facing them.

"How was your flying practice with Luna?" Were the first words out of Hermione's mouth.

"Absolutely fantastic!" Was Ron's immediate reply. "I've never seen anyone that can fly like her. She has an old Clean Sweep, and she did things with it that I thought were impossible."

"If she's that good, why isn't she on her House team?" Hermione asked.

"She applied for it, but they told her she wasn't wanted, they wouldn't ever let her try out." Ron replied with a touch of anger. And then, looking over to Ravenclaw table, he asked: "Where is Luna, anyway?"

Ginny spoke up sadly. "She's scrubbing the floors in the Potion's Lab, and she has detention the next two nights. Lisa Turpin deliberately upset Luna's cauldron on the floor. Snape saw what really happened, but he punished Luna because of what happened to Malfoy." Looking over to the Ravenclaw Table, Ginny pointed. "There's Lisa now, smirking."

Both Ron and Harry started to rise, but Hermione put a firm hand on each of their shoulders. "This one's mine. Let me have a little talk with Lisa." She said grimly, and they all watched as Hermione sauntered over to the Ravenclaw Table and sat down next to the younger girl.

"So, how has your day been going, Lisa," Hermione began cheerfully.

"Uh…fine," she answered warily. It was very unusual for Hermione Granger to sit down at another House's table and start a casual conversation, and Lisa hardly knew the older girl.

"That sure was funny what happened to Draco Malfoy on the train, wasn't it?" And then, looking over at the Hufflepuff table, Hermione continued. "I never saw Justin laugh so hard before….You kind of like him, don't you?"

Lisa didn't reply, but was even more nervous about where the conversation was going.

"That was quite a little spell that was used on Draco, but it didn't have much staying power. Madam Pomfrey simply used the counter curse and he was back to normal. But I've been doing some work on it, so now it should take about thirty days to wear off."

"Thirty days!" Lisa exclaimed in horror. "But you…you wouldn't use it; you're a school Prefect."

"Yes, that's true. But you have to remember that my best friends are Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. We do everything together; it's just that I'm smart enough not to get caught. We have another close friend at school also. Luna Lovegood is a very good friend of ours. There's nothing we wouldn't do for her, and nothing we wouldn't do to anyone that would hurt her."

Lisa turned as white as a sheet. "I…I don't know what you mean." She said in a shaking voice.

"Oh, I think you do. And I'll tell you exactly what you're going to do." Hermione replied, no longer smiling, and now with a definite edge to her voice. "You're going to go right down to the dungeon and tell Professor Snape that it was you who knocked over Luna's cauldron. Either that or you are going to spend the next month as a donkey, starting right this minute. Which is it going to be?" Hermione had withdrawn her wand from her robes and was now staring daggers at the young girl, and obviously meant business. Lisa looked absolutely terrified as she got off the bench hastily and literally ran to the dungeon stairs.

Harry and Ron were watching all of this from the Gyffindor table, and wondered exactly what Hermione was saying to the obviously frightened girl.

"What did you say to her?" Ron asked in amazement.

"I just suggested that some of Luna's friends might not like it if she was punished for something that someone else had done. She was really quite agreeable about it."

Harry and Ron looked at her suspiciously, and then said together: "Sure, Hermione."

A few minutes later Luna came bouncing into the Great Hall and sat down next to Harry. It turned out that Professor Snape was so furious about having to reverse himself that he gave Lisa a week's worth of detentions.

"It was really quite strange." Luna said in a perplexed tone of voice. "Lisa seemed almost happy about it."

"Well imagine that," Hermione said, expressing some mock surprise.

- o -

A few days later Harry had the opportunity to see what a good flyer Luna was. Professor Snape had taken twenty points from Gryffindor because he claimed that Harry and Ron were talking too loud in the hallways, and Harry was furious. Only the day before Snape had taken ten points from Gryffindor because Harry hadn't set up his cauldron fast enough.

When they reached the top of the stone steps Ron and Hermione turned towards the Great Hall for lunch, while Harry walked towards the stairs leading to Gryffindor tower.

"Where are you going, mate?" Ron asked. "It's time for lunch."

"I need to relax; I'm going for a fly." Harry responded.

Ron started to follow him, but Hermione put a hand on his arm. "He needs to be alone," she whispered.

Harry knew he had to relax, and for Harry Potter relaxing came easiest on a broom. The freedom of flight always brought him a sense of peace and well being. As he walked to the Quidditch pitch, his Firebolt on his shoulder, he was thinking about how good it would feel to slip the bonds of earth and soar up into the clear blue sky. As he looked up from his daydream he saw someone flying high above the pitch.

From where he was standing Harry couldn't tell who it was, but they were very, very good. He watched in admiration as the person on the broom made high speed turns and loops. As the figure executed an almost vertical power dive towards the earth, Harry was shocked to see a mane of dirty blond hair flying out behind her. Yes "her," for the person who had shown such incredible grace and flying ability was none other than Luna Lovegood.

She zoomed down and landed right in front of him, out of breath from her flying. Her face slightly flushed, and her long hair in disarray; but at that moment Harry thought that she was absolutely beautiful. In her hands an old Clean Sweep 5 which had been painted orange with yellow shooting stars.

"That was incredible, Luna. Ron told me that you could fly, but I never dreamed that you could fly like that."

"Thanks, Harry." She said shyly. "Daddy doesn't really trust the floo network, so when I was little we rode our brooms everywhere."

"I envy you. It only seems that I'm really happy when I'm on a broom…" and after a moments reflection he added rather boldly, "or when I'm with you." Feeling the beginnings of a blush creeping onto his face, Harry hastily changed the subject. "Weren't you afraid of being seen, when you were little, I mean?"

"No, Daddy always put a disillusionment charm on us, so we could fly anywhere we wanted."

"When I saw how easily you rode the Thestrals last term I should have guessed that you were an experienced flyer."

"I feel so free up there, with the wind whipping my hair, I just love it." She said with enthusiasm.

Some people might think that a strange remark, but Harry understood completely. "Would you like to fly some more?"

"I would love to."

They pushed off from the ground and rose into the blue sky side by side. Harry began a series of complicated maneuvers, but Luna kept right up with him. He was really amazed at the performance she could get out of her old broom, and he couldn't even begin to imagine what she could do with a really good broom.

Then Luna asked if Harry had ever played 'Follow the Leader.' He confessed that he hadn't; as he never had friends as a child to play with. Luna didn't have friends either, but had seen the other children play. Now she challenged Harry to a game, and he eagerly accepted.

Mounting her broom, she soared off in the direction of the Forbidden Forest with Harry right behind her. Luna used the trees as an enormous slalom course, weaving through the tree tops at breakneck speed in tight turns and loops. Harry managed to keep up with her the whole time, marveling at her skill. She finally led him back to the Quidditch pitch, after having a wonderful time.

"Now it's my turn." Harry said, with a mischievous glint in his eye. "I think we need some cooling off." They both took off again and Harry led Luna out over the lake; he made an enormous 360 degree loop at high speed and swept in just inches above the water. The slip-stream from his broom sent a fine spray of mist back at her. He could hear her shrieking with mirth as she followed him, and he moved lower to increase the spray, soaking the hem of his robes in the process. He turned to look back and was shocked to see that she was gone.

At that moment he heard Luna call his name. Turning, he saw her directly in front of him, just inches away. She had accelerated over him and dropped down in front. She looked back at him mischievously, and then she dipped the toe of her shoe in the water. A heavy spray of water shot back and soaked him.

"I'll get you for that!" he shouted, laughing the whole time. She veered hard to the right, but he stayed right with her. Both of them laughing loudly as they swerved in and out, and then down low over the water. They were playing as children, something they had never had a chance to do before.

They little realized the number of eyes watching them from the shore, some benevolent and some not. Professor Dumbledore was watching their fun from the bank, and was enjoying the game as much as the children were. Professor McGonagall stood at his side.

"They fly well together, don't they," he said in a wistful tone.

"Yes they do," McGonagall answered solemnly. "This is what you wanted for Harry, isn't it?"

"This is what I wanted for both of them."

Professor McGonagall looked out over the lake again just as Luna shot a Reductor curse down into the water, sending up a fountain of spray behind her. Harry plowed through it, soaking himself to the skin. His laughter could be heard coming acorss the lake as he dodged two other fountains that Luna had caused. A smile crept over McGonagall's wrinkled old face. "Yes, I see now. I understand."

A little further along the shore stood Draco Malfoy, looking at the pair in an anything but benevolent way. At first Malfoy had been delighted that Harry Potter had chosen Loony as his girlfriend; and took every opportunity to spread disparaging gossip about their relationship. But it was now clear that his efforts had achieved nothing; Harry Potter looked happier that Draco had ever seen him. It was time for a change of strategy, but one that would have to be carefully planned. In spite of his bold words in public, Malfoy knew that Harry Potter was clearly a stronger wizard. The last thing the blond-haired boy wanted was a confrontation in which he would likely loose. But as he watched the two teens playing over the lake, he felt certain that he was up to the challenge.

After a great deal of fun the two teens were finally exhausted. Harry and Luna hovered side by side above the water, Harry facing north and Luna south. They were both soaking wet, their robes saturated and dripping, but with wide grins on their faces. Harry reached over and gently brushed a long strand of wet hair away from Luna's face, looking deep into her silver eyes.

"Thanks." he whispered.

"For what?" she replied uncertainly.

"For always being here when I need you, for always being my friend."

"I'll always be your friend, Harry."

He hadn't even realized it, but as he was speaking he was leaning further and further out, until their lips met in a gentle kiss. Soon it became a different kind of kiss than they had ever experienced before, and they both felt a deep passion come to the surface. They separated for a moment, stared deep into each others eyes, and then leaned in to renew the kiss.

At that moment, however, fountains of water began to erupt all around them, and Harry almost fell off his broom in confusion. They looked up to see Ron, Hermione, Neville and Ginny sitting on brooms above them, their wands drawn and laughing uncontrollably.

"Sorry to interrupt, mate." Ron shouted down with glee. "But it looked like the two of you could use some cooling off. Besides, we couldn't let you have all the fun."

With wide grins, and but a single thought, Harry and Luna attacked. In the wild melee that followed all six teens received a good soaking; but had so much fun.

After an exhilarating day of flight, the children were exhausted, bedraggled and soaking wet; but oh so happy. None of them could ever imagine having a better day, as they walked back to the castle laughing and giggling. As they approached the steps Harry saw Cho Chang and Mandy Brocklehurst eyeing Luna disapproval. Harry put an arm around her shoulders protectively; but as he did so he saw the wide smile on her face. 'She doesn't care what they think,' he realized, and suddenly neither did he. They walked past the two sour faces laughing.

In the weeks that followed Harry and Luna flew together often, and they found that they were very well matched on their brooms. On a broom, Luna was every bit as competitive as Harry was. Together they executed dazzling maneuvers in perfect harmony. And as they spent more and more time together, their relationship changed from a very close friendship into something much deeper.

- o -

That night at dinner there was more than a little laughter at the Gryffendor table, as one by one each of the teens recounted their favorite part of the 'battle.' The other Gryffendors joined into the laughter with a will, as many of them had watched the melee from the shore. Once again Harry insisted that Luna join them at the Gryffendor table. She couldn't help but enjoy herself, surrounded by people who accepted her as a friend. It was a new and very pleasing experience for her. If she noticed the scowls coming from Ravenclaw table she gave no hint of it.

"If she likes her Gryffendor friends so much, why doesn't she transfer to their House? We don't need her," Mandy Brocklehurst said angrily. "No true Ravenclaw would make such a spectacle of herself as she did today."

"Well maybe we can help her along," Cho said mysteriously. "Just give me a little time."

After the laughter died down the conversation turned to the subject of the first Advanced Defense Class, which was scheduled for that very evening in the Room of Requirement. They all eagerly looked forward to the first session, and speculated on what kinds of things they were going to learn. But Harry's mind was working along a different track.

"You know," he said thoughtfully, "I bet Moody's planning some kind of surprise for us tonight."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Well you know what his favorite two words are, don't you?"

"CONSTANT VIGILENCE!" Ron boomed out, in a gruff imitation of Mad-eye Moody. Both Luna and Ginny broke out in giggles.

"Well, what can we do about it?" Neville interjected.

"Maybe," Luna began dreamily, "we should surprise him."

They all turned and looked at her with surprised interest. She leaned in close to them and began to whisper. As she was finishing, Harry glanced up at the High Table. Professor Moody was involved in an animated discussion with Professor Dumbledore while Tonks was involved in a much more subdued conversation with Professor McGonagall.

The six teens quietly got up from the table and went up to the Gryffindor Common Room. Ginny and Neville settled comfortably on the sofa, for their part of the plan was still some time away. Harry went up to his room and got his Invisibility Cloak; and then he and the other three went up to the Room of Requirement. Harry and Luna covered themselves with the Invisibility Cloak while Ron and Hermione used a disillusionment charm on each other; feeling the cracking egg sensation as the charm activated. And then the four waited in silence.

About thirty minutes later Moody and Tonks entered the room. They looked around carefully to make sure that it was unoccupied, and then they both mumbled a spell that made them invisible. "We'll just see how really prepared they are," Moody said gruffly.

A few minutes later Ginny and Neville entered the room and seated themselves in comfortable chairs before the fire. They casually talked about a number of things before Neville finally asked, "How do you think Professor Moody will react when he finds out that Harry and the others won't be here tonight?"

"Well why don't you ask me yourself, Mr. Longbottom?" Moody growled out, as he and Tonks became visible again. "Not very vigilant, if we had been Death Eaters, you and Miss Weasley would both be dead right now."

"No, I don't think so," Harry declared, as he pulled the Invisibility Cloak off himself and Luna. Ron and Hermonie materialized on the other side of Moody, their wands drawn. "…I think they would have been quite safe," Harry concluded.

For a moment no one was quite sure how Professor Moody was going to react to this, but then a large smile broke out on his face. A smile on his scared and distorted face made him look even more terrifying. But Moody clapped his hand on Harry's shoulder and said, "Well done, very well done indeed." That gesture caused them all to relax.

"Whose idea was this anyway?" he asked gruffly. They all pointed at Luna. "Ah, Miss Lovegood, Professor Dumbledore told me you were a very clever witch. I see he was not mistaken."

With the tension broken they all seated themselves before the fire. "I'm afraid I'm not very good with the formalities of teacher-student relations, and I'm not going to try. We're here to teach you to stay alive. You've already passed the first test, but there will be others to come. Let me explain exactly what we're going to do this year."

"We will spend our first two weeks preparing you for the Challenge Tests for your defense classes. Tonks will work with Miss Lovegood and Miss Weasley on their OWLS and I will work with the rest of you to challenge your sixth year test. Between what you've learned in your defense club, and what we will show you over the next two weeks, you should have no trouble passing."

"After you've passed your tests, Professor Dumbledore wants you all trained to Apparate; its absolute critical that you have this ability with what the future holds."

In spite of the delighted looks on the faces of the others, Hermione Granger looked quite concerned.

"Doesn't the law say you have to be seventeen years old?" she began timidly. "None of us are old enough."

"That's quite correct." Moody continued, quite impressed with the young woman's knowledge. "Normally you would indeed have to be seventeen years old to take your Apparation test. However, Professor Dumbledore has received special permission from the Ministry for you six to take your test as soon as your training is complete. Once you pass you will be issued special Apparation Certificates."

"I've heard of people splinching themselves on their first try at Apparation, is there any danger connected to this?" Neville asked somewhat apprehensively.

"No, none at all." Tonks answered reassuringly. "Those who were splinched did not receive adequate training. But I assure you that will not be the case with you six."

"Once you received your certificates," Moody continued, "we will begin the actual Auror Training Course. It will include a variety of advanced defensive and offensive curses, an introduction to wandless magic, for those with the aptitude, and conclude with training on killing curses. This last part of the course will be strictly voluntary. We also have a surprise planned for you, but that will come later in the term."

"Tonight we will begin with an examination of the fifth and sixth year course work, so we can understand exactly what we need to work on."

And with that they began to work. All of them were surprised and disappointed when, three hours later, Professor Moody told them that it was time to call it a night. But he made them feel much better when he told them how pleased he was with their progress. As they walked back to their dorms after class was over they all raved about what a great class it was going to be and how they were all looking forward to the next session.

- o -

A few days later Harry and Hermione were in Advanced Potions when Professor McGonagall entered the room. She looked very tired and quite pale, and every day of her seventy-some years old.

"Excuse me, Professor Snape, could I see you outside in the hallway for a moment?" She asked.

As he stepped out of the classroom he instructed the students to continue working on their potions, and Harry was certain that Snape was looking directly at him. A few minutes later Professor Snape returned, looking rather paler than normal, Harry thought.

"Miss Granger and Mr. Potter are excused from the remainder of the class." Professor Snape said tersely. "Please gather up your books and leave as quickly as possible."

Confused, the two teens collected their books and quietly left the room. Professor McGonagall was waiting in the hallway with Neville and Ginny.

"What…" Harry start to ask, but Professor McGonagall held up her hand for silence.

"Miss Lovegood and Mr. Weasley. Do you know where they are?" She asked, the strain evident in her voice.

"They said that they were going down to the pitch to practice some Quidditch." Harry responded.

"Please go and get them at once and bring them to Professor Dumbledore's office."

Harry didn't have any idea what had happened, but he knew it must be terribly serious. He ran up the stairs, out through the front doors, and all the way down to the Quidditch pitch. Ron had just successfully blocking Luna's shot on goal when he arrived. Seeing Harry below them, they both flew down to greet him."

"Did you see that block, mate, I…" But Harry cut him off before he could say another word.

"Not now, Ron. Professor Dumbledore wants to see all of us in his office immediately. Some- thing happened!" The three of them raced across the grass and up to the castle. As they approached the stone gargoyle that guarded Professor Dumbledore's Office they saw Professor McGonagall waiting for them. She quickly ushered them onto the moving stairs and they all went up to the office.

Entering the office they saw a grave Professor Dumbledore standing behind his desk. Ginny, Neville and Hermione were already seated as he motioned the new arrivals to empty chairs. The Headmaster looked very old and tired as he started to speak.

"I've called you here to advise you that Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters have launched multiple attacks on prominent wizarding families around the country. A number of people have been killed and many others have been taken to St. Mungos Hospital with serious injuries.

"Our families…are they alright." Ginny asked trembling.

"Yes, Miss Weasley, all of your families are fine. It appeared that Lord Voldemort selected families who were more or less unprepared. These attacks seem to have been intended to generate a maximum amount of terror. Members of the Order were not targeted, probably because they would have been better able to resist."

"Do we know what his motive was?" Harry asked.

"We're not sure. It may have been done simply to prove that he could do it, to further discredit Fudge and his administration. Or it may have been done to frighten people into submission, and lessen public support to those who resist Voldemort. On the other hand, it might have been a diversion, to divert our attention from his real objective."

"What can we do?" Hermione asked.

"There's very little any of us can do right now. Continue your training and keep your eyes open. What we need is more information. Are you still following Mr. Malfoy?"

"One of us is following him day and night."

"That's good, but two might be better. Mr. Malfoy might be our best chance to learn more about Lord Voldemort's activities. But you must be very careful; this is a very dangerous game we are playing."

At that moment a green flame blazed up in the fireplace. They all turned in that direction as a figure stepped out of the flames. It was Bill Weasley, looking grimmer than Ron and Ginny had ever seen him. He nodded to them as he walked up to Dumbledore's desk.

"There's been another attack," he said sadly, as he handed the Headmaster a slip of paper. Dumbledore read the note and then sagged down in his chair. He lifted his eyes from the paper and sought out those of Professor McGonagall.

"The Ingoldsby home near Aberdeen has been attacked." He said gently.

They all heard Minerva McGonagall take in a sharp breath. "And Lark?" She asked in a trembling voice.

"I'm very sorry, Minerva," Dumbledore answered sadly.

She covered her face with her hands and began to weep, her shoulders shaking with grief. Luna, who was sitting next to Professor McGonagall, got up and went to her. She put her arms around the older woman's shoulders and held her tightly as she cried.

There was complete silence in the room as everyone stared at the two. It would be almost funny if it wasn't so tragic. Stern old Professor McGonagall crying on the shoulder of tiny Luna Lovegood.

"Miss Lovegood," Professor Dumbledore began softly. "Could you please take Professor McGonagall down to her rooms, and will you please stay with her? I'll ask Madam Pomfrey to come up."

Luna nodded as she led the older woman from the room.

"Minerva was raised by the Ingoldsby family. She and Lark Ingoldsby were like sisters. They came to Hogwarts together and have been terribly close their entire lives. I can't imagine anything that would hurt her more." Dumbledore explained.

Then, with more resolve, he turned to Bill Weasley. "I want all members of the Order, and their families, moved to Grimmauld Place. Expand the building if you have to, but there must be no exceptions. Miss Granger's parents must also be taken there. Sooner or later Voldemort will turn from innocents and attack our people. Also, please ask your brother Charlie to arrange his leave of absence; I think we're going to need his help soon."

"How is Fudge reacting to this?"

"You know Fudge." Bill responded. "He's panicking. He wants to reduce protection on primary targets and spread Aurors around the country to respond to future attacks."

"That's ridiculous! Even if we had a hundred times as many Aurors as we do, we still wouldn't have enough to guard everyone. All that would do is set up the Aurors we do have as easy targets. I need to talk to him at once.

Then turning to the five teens he said sadly. "I'm afraid it's starting, we all need to be prepared for anything from here out." With that he dismissed them.

They made their way down to the Gryffendor common room. After what they had heard, even Hermione didn't feel like returning to class. They sat talking in front of the fireplace until late in the afternoon, when Luna finally returned; using the password that Harry had shared with her.

"Madam Pomfrey is with her right now" she said, obviously quite tired, "She gave her a dreamless sleeping potion that will allow her to get a good night's rest. I'm just going to grab a bite to eat, and then I'm going back."

"You're tired, Luna." Harry said with concern. "Madam Pomfrey can take care of her now. You need to get some rest."

"No." Luna declared, more forcefully than she had intended. "I need to be with her." And then looking into Harry's eyes she added more softly, "Harry, I do."

"Alright, then let's get you something to eat."

All six of them went down and had dinner together. They told Luna everything that Dumbledore had said after she and Professor McGonagall had left the room. "He said Professor McGonagall was raised by the Ingoldsby family, and that Lark Ingoldsby was like a sister to her." Hermione said.

"Yes." Luna said sadly. "Minerva told me that they were very close. Lark was the only family she had left. Her parents were killed when she was five and the Ingoldsbys took her in and raised her as their own.

"Don't let Professor McGonagall hear you calling her by her first name," Ron warned.

"It's alright, she said I could. I've got to get back now." With that she got up and hurried out the great doors and up the stairs.

The next morning when Minerva McGonagall awoke she found Luna sleeping in a chair next to her bed. She smiled at the sleeping child, thinking how nice it had been of her to sit up all night. Then she noticed two large vases of beautiful roses at the foot of the bed. One had a note signed Albus and the other was signed by Harry and his friends. Yes, she realized she still did have family.


	6. The Moon Lilies

**Disclaimer:** The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **My special thanks to _aliceravenclaw_ and _John Adams_ for all their help in beta reading this story and keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for their many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been.

**CHAPTER 6: THE MOON LILIES**

But with the sweet, Harry Potter always seemed to suffer with the bitter as well. Professor Snape's animosity towards Gryffindor House in general, and Harry Potter in particular, remained unchanged. One day, in early October, Snape interrupted an argument between Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy. Ignoring the facts that Draco had started it, the Potion's Master deducted twenty points from Gryffindor and gave Ron a detention. Harry Potter, who was not even involved in the argument, was given a detention as well.

Both boys were furious as they stomped into the Great Hall for lunch, and sat down heavily at the Gryffindor Table on either side of Hermione. Luna Lovegood, from Ravenclaw table, watched as Harry came in flushed with anger. She got up and hurried over, coming up behind him. He was talking angrily with Hermione when he felt small, warm fingers gently stroke his neck.

"Hello, Harry." She said in her dreamy way. "Would you like to take a walk with me? It's a beautiful autumn day."

He turned on her fiercely, and then noticed her sweet, trusting smile. His anger quickly changed to embarrassment and after a second he responded, "I'd like that."

She reached down, took his hand and helped him up; and as she did so she looked over and gave Hermione a conspiratorial wink, which the older girl returned. She then led him out through the front doors. Hermione watched the two of them go and smiled to herself. Then she turned back to Ron and gently laid her hand on his.

"I just don't know how he can be so unfair…" Ron was saying.

"Professor Snape will never change, and it doesn't do any good to worry about it. Look at this lunch that the elves prepared, all of your favorites. Let's enjoy life and not worry about Snape."

Ron shrugged his shoulders and began to eat, which always made him feel better.

Luna led Harry out along the shore of the Black Lake, and then along a winding trail that led them into the Forbidden Forest. They missed their afternoon classes, for which Harry was certain they would both get a detention; but it was worth it. Luna took him deep into the forest to a special place she knew. It was a narrow canyon with a silvery stream running through it. The steep slopes on either side were heavily covered with ferns and wild flowers. They spent the afternoon lying on the bank of the stream just holding hands. It was so peaceful. Neither of them needed to say anything. When they returned for dinner Harry was calm and at peace, and had forgotten all about Professor Snape.

Surprisingly, the teachers didn't seem to object to them missing class. Professor McGonagall simply gave Harry the assignments and asked him to try and not let it happen again. Professor Flitwick actually winked at Harry when he explained that he had missed Charms because he was out walking with Luna Lovegood. Luna's instructors were equally lenient. It was all very strange, but Harry decided it was better not to ask questions.

- o -

That night, while Harry and Ron did their detention of scrubbing out cauldrons in the Potions Lab, Ginny and Neville volunteered to watch Draco Malfoy. Harry had loaned them his invisibility cloak, and warned them to be careful. They waited for Draco outside the concealed entrance to the Slytherin common room. Just before nine o'clock Draco emerged and began his rounds as a school Prefect, shooing a few late students back to their dormitories. Just before ten o'clock he made his way to the main stairs and hurried down to the great Oak doors. He looked around carefully to make sure he wasn't being followed, and then slipped out into the courtyard. Ginny and Neville followed as quickly as the cumbersome invisibility cloak would allow; their excitement growing with each passing second.

Once outside Malfoy stopped to listen and look around again. Ginny and Neville froze under the cloak and watched; but when he moved on again so did they. They went through this routine several times between the courtyard and the great stone gate, which marked the boundary of the school grounds. The two friends found they could walk better if they each put an arm around the other; but nonetheless they kept falling further and further behind.

As they passed through the gates they saw two forms standing in the shadow of the nearby trees. As they got closer they were able to recognize Malfoy's voice and a moment later the high pitched voice of Bellatrix Lestrange.

There she was, only twenty feet in front of him, the monster who had tortured his parents and destroyed his family. Neville's fingers tightened on his wand as he felt pure hatred rise inside him. This was the moment of justice for his parents and revenge for himself. One quick shot and there would be some measure of peace, at least some of the pain would be gone.

But then he felt something else; Ginny's tiny, warm hand in his. He looked down and saw her face in the moonlight, her eyes warm and trusting. She knew his pain, for he had told her; and she was alright with his decision, whatever it might be. Neville felt the hatred leave him to be replaced with love. He smiled down at her and he relaxed the grip on his wand. He would not risk her life, not for anything. He nodded his head to her, indicating that they should move closer.

They heard Malfoy ask, "What about the shield, has the Master got the shield yet?"

Bellatrix replied harshly, "It's only a matter of time; they will either make it or feel our Master's wrath."

"And the sword, has it been found?"

"The search continues, but it will be found."

As Bellatrix and Draco moved deeper into the trees their voices faded, and Neville knew they couldn't follow. He knew that moving through the dry leaves their footsteps would most certainly be heard. As they passed out of earshot he heard one last word, and then nothing more. That last word was "Astragal."

A few minutes later Malfoy emerged from the forest and returned to the castle. Neville and Ginny followed him back to the Slythern common room, and then the two rushed back to the Gryffindor Tower.

"Where's Harry?" Ginny exclaimed as they rushed up to Ron and Hermione, who were sitting together on a sofa in the Gryffindor common room.

Ron smiled at Hermione, and then said to Ginny. "He and Luna are checking out the stars up on the Astronomy Tower,"

"We've got to find him. Now! Bellatrix Lestrange is in the forest."

Harry and Luna were sitting in a dark corner of the Astronomy Tower enjoying the stars, the peace, and a few kisses, when Ron's voice shattered the midnight silence.

"Harry! Luna! Where are you?"

Harry looked at Luna in frustration as he replied, "Over here Ron. Tired of living are you?"

"Harry…I'm sorry." Ron stammered, out of breath. "But Bellatrix Lestrange was in the forest with Malfoy."

"What! Are you sure?"

"Yes." Neville replied. "Ginny and I both saw her, and we overheard some of their conversation."

"We need to tell Dumbledore right away." Harry exclaimed. He took Luna's hand and ran for the stairs, the other four following close behind.

When they reached the gargoyle that guarded Professor Dumbledore's Office they met Professor McGonagall.

"We need to see Professor Dumbledore immediately," Harry declared.

Seeing the urgency on his face, Professor McGonagall didn't stop to ask questions, but led them directly up to the Headmaster's office. As Ginny and Neville began to relate their story, concern became plainly evident on the old Headmaster's face, and he visibly winced at the mention of the word "Astragal."

When Neville finished Ron exclaimed, "I'm really surprised you didn't take a shot at her, Neville."

"I wanted to…I really did." Neville said, shaking. "But I couldn't take the risk with Ginny there."

Ginny reached over and put a comforting hand on Neville's arm.

"Thanks Neville," Ron said sincerely, "for looking after my little sister."

"You both did very well." Dumbledore said. "Bellatrix Lestrange is a very dangerous witch."

"But why is Voldemort looking for a sword and shield? What good would they do him?" Hermione asked in bewilderment.

"Of all people, Miss Granger, you should know that things are not always what they seem. This particular sword and shield have tremendous power." Dumbledore responded. "Have any of you ever heard of Astragal?"

"He was the Court Wizard of Alexander the Great." Luna said with confidence.

"Very good, Miss Lovegood; but he was a great deal more than that. Astragal was one of the most powerful wizards who ever lived. Besides being a brilliant wizard, he was also a master alchemist and metallurgist. He started his career as Court Wizard to Alexander's father, Philip of Macedon, in 350 B.C. Like so many muggles before and since, Philip dreamed of world conquest. He ordered Astragal to create a sword of absolute power and a shield that would protect the holder against any muggle or magical power. Astragal not only carried out his instructions, he exceeded them."

"As near as we can understand, the sword projected a pulse of magical energy that was absolutely irresistible. With it, Philip was able to conquer all of ancient Greece. But Philip was assassinated before Astragal was able to complete the protective shield charm. The sword, and later the shield, went to his son Alexander, and with them he conquered the known world."

"But Alexander died a relatively young man, how was that possible if he possessed a protective shield?" Hermione asked.

"The charm only protected the wearer against muggle and magical power, Alexander died of Tigris Fever."

"What happened to the sword and shield after his death?" Harry asked, finding history intensely interesting for once.

"Well, legend has it that the sword went to Alexander's favorite general, Ptolemy. He went on to found a dynasty in Egypt that endured almost three hundred years. The sword disappeared at some point during that time. The shield charm was cremated with Alexander, as none of his generals trusted anyone else to possess it. The sword reappeared some six hundred years later carrying a different name. It was then known as Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur. When Arthur died the sword is said to have been buried with him."

There was a stunned silence in the room following Dumbledore's announcement.

Hermione was the first to break the silence. "But I read that when they found King Arthur's body at Glastonbury there was no sign of a sword. What happened to it?"

"Arthur wasn't buried at Glastonbury." Luna responded dreamily. "He rests on the Isle of Avalon."

"Oh, Luna, that's just a myth." Hermione responded knowingly. "Monks discovered Arthur's grave near Glastonbury Cathedral eight hundred years ago."

"I'm afraid, Miss Granger, that it is you who are mistaken." Professor Dumbledore said, interrupting. "While there is much truth in books, everything in books is not the truth. Centuries ago there was great concern that dark wizards were searching for Arthur's tomb in an attempt to find the Sword of Astragal. A false grave was set up at Glastonbury to divert attention from his real tomb on Avalon. The island itself is unplottable and its coordinates have long been lost to history; but it appears that the Dark Lord thinks that he can find it. But even if he were to find the location of the island itself he might fail. Legend has it that only a true priestess of the Celtic Goddess Brigit can raise the mists that conceal it. And the ceremony can only be preformed one day out of the year."

"But Celtic rituals are still being practiced today. Couldn't Voldemort find a priestess to conduct the ceremony?" Ginny asked.

"It's not as simple as that." Dumbledore replied. "The qualities of faith, courage and purity of heart required of a Priestess of Brigit are quite rare and unique, especially in these times. Also, a specific spell must be cast, and its nature is unknown. Nevertheless, I doubt Voldemort would have carried it this far unless he was confident that he could raise the mist."

"What can we do?" Harry asked decisively.

"All we can do is what we are doing. Information is what we need. Everything we can learn about Astragal, King Arthur, the sword, and Avalon is important. As to the shield charm, it appears that Voldemort is attempting to recreate it using the kidnapped alchemists."

"But is that possible? Hermione asked.

"Unfortunately, Lord Voldemort has a habit of doing the impossible, and we must be prepared for that to continue. You have all done very well tonight; you have given us a chance to stop him. Now that we know what his objective is, we can try to be prepared. I will call all the members of the Order here tonight and inform them of these latest developments. Because of the late hour, and the importance of this work, I am excusing all of you from class tomorrow. Get a good night's sleep and start fresh in the morning."

- o -

The days that followed were filled with school work, library research and Quidditch practice that took up almost every spare moment. At times it seemed to Harry that they were practically living in the library. All six teens were determined to find the Sword of Astragal before Voldemort could get his hands on it. Even Ron willingly immersed himself in research; that is, when he wasn't following Malfoy.

Progress was slow at first, but then one night in early October Hermione Granger made a major discovery. The six of them had eaten dinner together, and then had gone up to the library to do their homework. Working together, they quickly finished their assignments and then went on to their separate tasks. While Ron and Harry left to follow Malfoy, the other four settled down to another long night of research.

Hermione had spent the last three days translating an ancient text on Celtic religious practices. Her progress had been painfully slow; translating one word at a time using a heavy, leather bound dictionary. But for some reason she thought there might be something useful in the book, and she kept at it. Luna, who sat across from her, found the Celtic language much easier to read. She was literally breezing through a text on Celtic religious sites, hoping to find a clue to the location of Avalon. Ginny and Neville were at the table also, gathering biographical information on Alfred Mahan, a renowned alchemist and the latest kidnap victim.

Hermione looked up at the clock on the wall and stifled a yawn. It was nearly 11 o'clock and she was bone tired. She decided to call it a night and finish the text during lunch the next day. She took one last look at the paragraph she was working on before marking the page. At that moment she saw a word that she had almost given up hope of finding. Could it be? Yes, it was definitely Avalon!

"Luna! Look at this." She exclaimed, and pushed the book across the table, putting her finger on the paragraph in question.

Luna began to read, mumbling the words as she did so. She looked perplexed for a moment, and then read the page again. Then a wide grin spread across her face.

"Hermione, you've found it." She exclaimed.

"Found what?" The older girl asked.

"The spell to raise the mist," Luna said excitedly. "The spell to raise the mists of Avalon."

Neville, Ginny and Hermione crowded around as Luna began to read the elemental chant to the Goddess Brigit out loud:

By the earth that is her body

And the water that is her blood

By the air that is her breath

And the fire that is her spirit

I ask the goddess to raise the mist

And reveal the sacred isle.

All thought of sleep and tiredness was now gone; Hermione grabbed the book and rushed out of the library, the three others right behind her. They never noticed the shadowy figure watching them from the cover of the book shelves. Pansy Parkinson smiled to herself; she was expecting just another boring night watching from the shadows, but they had actually found something. It was all going just as Draco had said it would; the Dark Lord would be very pleased.

The four students raced down the hallway to the stone gargoyle that guarded Professor Dumbledore's office, the sound of their running echoing in the midnight stillness. Earlier in the semester Professor Dumbledore had decided that it was important for all of them to have the password to his office. Hermione quickly called out "Peppermint Humbugs," and the gargoyle moved out of the way. They rushed up the stairs and knocked on the door, entering the moment he responded. They had apparently interrupted a meeting with Professor McGonagall.

"We're sorry to interrupt," Hermione blurted out, "but we've found something important." And she quickly laid the open book on the desk in front of the Headmaster.

As Professor Dumbledore read the page his eyes widened. "This is indeed important. While it unfortunately does not give the location of Avalon, it is certainly the key to open the door. You have all done very well indeed."

After they left Dumbledore's Office, Hermione was all prepared to return to the library and resume the search, but the other three talked her out of it. Instead they went to the Gryffindor common room. Ron and Harry had returned a short time before, but their own exhaustion quickly disappeared as Hermione related the exciting news about the night's discovery.

- o -

But it wasn't all work. Harry was determined that he and Luna would have at least a little private time together. Sometimes they would skip a lunch and go flying together, or they would take an evening walk by the lake hand in hand. These times meant a great deal to both of them; reminding them that no matter what happened, they were no longer alone.

One evening, about a half hour before curfew, Harry came down to the Gryffindor common room. He was carrying a warm winter cloak over his arm and was wearing a heavy jacket besides. The nights were cold in the Forbidden Forest, and he wanted to be prepared. He walked over to Ron and Hermione, who were doing homework at a table by the fire.

"Hi Harry. Come to do your homework?" Then, noticing his heavy cloak, Hermione asked with concern, "Going out, Harry?"

"Yes, Luna and I are going for a walk in the forest. She thinks the Moon Lilies will be in bloom tonight." Then turning to Ron he added, "Neville is going to help you follow Malfoy tonight."

"Oh Harry, you're not going to waste your time…" And then Hermione stopped and bit her lip. She was about to call Luna's flowers a myth, but now she knew better. She also knew that Harry's time with Luna was precious, and was to be cherished. "I'm sorry, Harry. I hope you and Luna have a wonderful time."

Looking out the window at the full harvest moon, Harry smiled. "Don't worry, we will." He then winked at Ron and went out through the portrait hole.

Ron turned to Hermione and asked, "What exactly is a Moon Lily?"

"It's an old legend." She replied. "It's a magical flower that's only supposed to bloom in the autumn on nights with a full moon. Legend says that it only blooms in the presence of those in love. It's also called 'Love in Bloom.'"

Ron smiled to himself. "What say we put the books away for tonight and enjoy the fire?"

Hermione's first inclination was to argue, but then she thought better of it. "That would be nice,"

She replied, blushing slightly.

When Harry reached the entrance to the Ravenclaw Tower, Luna was already waiting for him. They walked down the Grand Staircase hand in hand. As they crossed the lawn walking down towards the Forbidden Forest, Harry noticed that everything was bathed in the silvery glow of the full moon. The night was almost as bright as day, and the few clouds that danced across the sky looked almost florescent. Looking over at Luna, he thought how lovely she looked and how well the moonlight suited her.

Walking into the forest together, Harry didn't feel the fears he had in the past; with Luna by his side everything was perfect and safe. They came to a small clearing and Luna indicated that they should sit down on some rocks. She pointed to some low, green, rather innocuous looking plants in the center of the clearing.

"I discovered them here in my first year, and I've come every year since; but I've never seen them bloom. But perhaps they will this year," Luna said hopefully

As Harry sat on the rocks, his arm around Luna's shoulders, he noticed the silvery moonlight filtering down through the trees. He concluded that he couldn't have found a more romantic spot if he tried. They talked in low whispers, and soon completely forgot about the Moon Lilies.

Suddenly the clearing was enveloped in a beautiful and almost overpowering scent. The two teens looked over at the bed of flowers, and realized that they had burst into bloom. The flowers seemed to reflect the moonlight in their own silvery color, and their scent was dazzlingly beautiful.

Later that night, long after midnight, they walked back to the castle together. It had been a night that they would both always remember. As he fell asleep, Harry could still see Luna's beautiful face in the moonlight.

The next morning at breakfast Hermione asked a dreamy Harry Potter how his night had gone. "Perfect," he whispered, as if lost in another world. He then produced a glorious silver lily and handed it to Hermione. "Luna wanted you to have this." He then got up from the table and walked over to meet his girlfriend as she came in through the large Oak doors.


	7. Where Heros Rest

**Disclaimer:** The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **My special thanks to _aliceravenclaw_ and _John Adams_ for all their help in beta reading this story and keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for their many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been.

**CHAPTER 7: WHERE HEROS REST**

The defense classes with Tonks and Moody also served to reduce the stress level. The six friends didn't even regard these classes as work, but saw it rather as a time when they could have fun and enjoy each others company. Tonks and Moody knew well the pressures the six teens were under, and endeavored to make the class as much fun as possible. Tonks was especially good at this, filling her lessons with a variety of exciting games.

Tonks had started their Apparation training in late September, but since you couldn't Apparate within the Hogwarts grounds it was necessary to find another location for the lessons. Harry suggested the Shrieking Shack, and it turned out to be the perfect place. Tonks and the six students would slip down the tunnel just after dinner and make their way to the old house, and then spend the next two hours Apparating from room to room trying to surprise each other. They found to their delight that, away from the influence of Moody, Tonks acted as little more than a child herself. She took the greatest delight in materializing directly behind someone and screaming loudly. The first time she did this to Harry he thought he was going to have a coronary. Anyone near the old house, and hearing the playful screams, would be certain that it was indeed haunted.

As their training progressed, the distances that they could travel also increased. Molly Weasley nearly had a stroke the first time the six students and Tonks appeared in her kitchen. It took a moment for her to recover, but then she greeted them warmly and insisted they stay for dinner. It was a wonderful evening, and especially so when Edward Lovegood popped in to share it with them. Luna was absolutely beaming when they apparated back to school; and Harry shared her joy. In late October they all successfully passed their Apparation Test and were granted special certificates.

But in spite of whatever fun they might have, the threat of Voldemort was always there. Professor Dumbledore realized this, and understood their need to relax. Therefore, on the second Saturday of October, he scheduled the first Hogsmeade Weekend. This weekend would be especially interesting, as there was going to be an Autumn Faire in Hogsmeade. It was only years later that Professor McGonagall revealed that Professor Dumbledore had made special arrangements for the faire to be in Hogsmeade that particular weekend. Professor McGonagall said it was his special gift to six very deserving students, but she would never say which ones. It really didn't matter though, for by that time everyone knew who they were.

They met for breakfast on Saturday morning and excitedly discussed the day ahead. Ron and Ginny had been to a magical faire when they were small, but none of the others had. Luna sat down next to Harry and placed her reindeer hat on the seat next to her. This piece of curious headwear was a black pointed witch's hat with reindeer antlers on either side; it was a favorite of Luna's, and she wore it often. It received many snickers and whispers from around the room, but Harry rather liked it. It was like Luna herself, truly unique.

After breakfast the six teens checked out at the main gate, and then walked down to the village. A number of students had taken the carriages that were provided; but Luna had convinced the others that such a beautiful autumn morning would make for a lovely walk. And she was certainly right; the mountains were painted a glorious pallet of greens, golds and oranges, and the morning air felt crisp and refreshing.

Reaching the village they were surprised to find dozens of small, colorful tents and stalls set up on both sides of High Street. There were stalls selling a wide variety of magical charms and amulets, potions and herbs, there were magical games, at least a dozen fortune tellers, and many other interesting things.

As they walked down the street, checking out all the odd and interesting stalls, an old witch motioned for Luna to come over.

"Come here for a moment, won't you my dear." She called out.

Luna left the others looking at a display on protective talismans and medallions, and walked over curiously.

"My dear," the old witch began, "this is absolutely the most powerful love potion ever created."

She handed Luna a small silver phial. "It's absolutely guaranteed to win you the heart of any young man you desire."

Harry walked up at that moment and put an arm around Luna's shoulders and kissed her tenderly on the cheek. Then, smiling at the old woman, he said: "I'm afraid you're too late madam. She already has my heart and doesn't need a potion to keep it."

"No, I can see that she doesn't," said the old woman, as she looked fondly at Luna.

Then, as the two teens were about to leave, Harry got a sudden idea. "Do you have a potion to help with shyness?"

"Why yes, I do. Jenup Weed is very good for that. It's very gentle, and gives one just a little extra confidence."

"That's perfect, could I have some please?"

Luna looked at him questioningly as he paid the old woman. "Why do you need more confidence?" She asked uncertainly.

"I don't." He replied, looking back at Neville and Ginny. "But Neville does."

Wrapping her arms around him, Luna whispered in his ear, "That's so sweet of you." Her breath was warm and tickled.

"Are you two having a good time?" A familiar voice asked from behind them. Turning they saw a smiling Professor Dumbledore.

"Yes, Professor, it's a wonderful faire." Harry replied.

Then addressing the old woman behind the counter he said: "It's wonderful to see you again, Grizel. It's been much too long."

"It's good to see you too, Albus." She replied, and Harry thought he detected a slight shade of pink on her weathered old face.

Addressing the two teens, Professor Dumbledore made the introductions. "Harry, Luna, this is Grizel Dane. We were in school together. Grizel, this is Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood, two very special students of mine…and two very good friends."

Both Harry and Luna were rather surprised by his words, but quite pleased as well.

"Lovegood? Not related to Edward Lovegood?" The old woman asked.

"He's my father. Do you know him?"

"No, but I wish I did. I've read the Quibbler for many years. It's the only place you can really learn the truth." And seeing the surprised looks on their faces, she added, "You see, I was in Ravenclaw too. And I'm also much honored to meet you, Mr. Potter."

"It's Harry, please."

"Thank you, Harry."

"Do you know, Harry." Professor Dumbledore began wistfully. "Grizel was the most beautiful girl in my class. I've always regretted that I never asked her out."

"I really wish you had, Albus." Grizel said, with a slight note of regret in her voice.

"Perhaps you would join me for the faire today?"

"I would love to." She said, smiling brightly. And then, addressing Luna, "I have a little gift for you, my dear." She said, handing Luna a small crystal bottle. "This perfume is my own recipe, I hope you like it." Then looking over at Harry, she added. "I don't think you need it, but it can't hurt. My home is near Wingate. I would be happy to send you the recipe if you like."

"I also have something for you." Professor Dumbledore said as he handed Harry some bright purple tickets. "I have another old school friend here today, Mildred Hawthorn. She's a very talented fortune teller. Please be my guest."

Harry noticed the smile on the old man's face as he and Grizel Dane strolled off in the direction of the Three Broomsticks. Gazing down at Luna he whispered, "You're never too old for some things."

She smiled back and nodded.

Fred and George Weasley also had a booth on High Street. The banner magically floating above it proclaimed it "Mischief Makers Headquarters." They were delighted to see the teens, and gave them free samples of all their latest inventions. They did however give Neville a hard time about what would happen to him if he made their little sister unhappy. Harry was proud of Neville when he promptly replied that if he hurt Ginny he would deserve anything that they would do to him. They seemed equally impressed, and smiled as the two walked away arm in arm.

They stopped at a food stand and got fish and chips for lunch. Luna smiled at Harry appreciatively when he asked that their order be wrapped in the Quibbler and not the Daily Prophet. The girl behind the counter smiled and did as he asked. Then they all settled under some nearby trees to eat their lunch and watch the people. After a pleasant lunch it was decided that they would all have their fortunes told. Harry really didn't believe in them, but thought it might be fun anyway.

Near the end of High Street they came to a colorfully striped gypsy tent with a banner reading "Madam Mildred – The Seeing Eye" floating above. From inside they heard a voice call out, "Welcome children, will Mr. Potter and Miss Lovegood please come in first?"

They looked at each other in some surprise; but entered the tent hand in hand. It was rather dark inside, lit by floating candles, and smelled strongly of incense. Whatever they expected it certainly wasn't what they found. On the far side of a small, polished table was a tiny woman no larger than Professor Flitwick. She had snow white hair, wire-rimmed glasses, and looked quite ancient. But the most striking thing they noticed about the old woman was her bright violet eyes which seemed to radiate intelligence.

"Please be seated, children." The old woman said, gesturing to the two seats opposite her. She spent a full minute looking intently into their eyes before speaking again.

"I see that you think that this is all foolishness, Harry. You of all people, growing up ignorant of magic, should have learned to keep an open mind. But you my dear," she said to Luna, "are open to all of the wonders of the world. That is one of the true joys of the magical life; and I'm quite sure that with time you'll convert Harry as well."

As the two of them sat together, holding hands, the old woman gazed into the crystal ball that sat in the middle of the table.

"I see trials ahead of you, coming to a head next spring. You two will face a great evil, but together you have the strength to endure and overcome. You Harry and you Luna are holding your own futures right now and it's a remarkably happy future." The two teens looked down and saw they were still holding each others hand. As they left the tent Harry put aside his usual doubts and accepted their fortune with a light heart.

The other four teens, in their turn, also received happy fortunes from the old woman; although Ginny and Neville were blushing furiously as they left the tent. Neville later confided to Harry that she had told them that the two teens would marry shortly after graduation and have six children; one of whom would become Minister of Magic.

As they walked back to Hogwarts that evening, Harry was certain that this was one of his best days ever. Looking down at Luna walking beside him, and his other friends around him, and he was quite certain that the old fortune teller was right: together they could overcome anything.

- o -

An event took place later that month that, while in and of itself was rather unimportant, was to have a major impact on Hogwarts and the way it viewed Luna Lovegood. Like the spring freshet that precedes the flood, this small encounter was to build into a mighty wave that would sweep aside the prejudice and intolerance that had been built up around the young Ravenclaw.

It all started one night in the Gryffindor Common Room. Ginny, Hermione and Luna were taking a rare night off from library research to catch up on their homework. Ron and Harry were following Draco Malfoy and Neville was doing a detention for Professor Snape. Hermione looked terribly frustrated, finally reaching the point where she slammed her books down on the table and shouted, "I give up."

Being the type of person that Hermione was, she could never miss the opportunity for extra credit work. And that was what was creating this particular problem; a special assignment in ancient runes. The assignment seemed simple enough: she was to translate ten different runic texts and provide a short background on how each had developed. Hermione already considered herself well versed on Celtic, Viking, Gallic and Egyptian runes, so this assignment should be easy. But it wasn't. Each set of texts looked frustratingly familiar, but somehow unfamiliar. She just couldn't get it.

Luna, seeing Hermione's frustration, got up and walked around the table. "Are you alright?" She asked in a kindly voice, laying a hand on Hermione's shoulder

"I just can't do this assignment. It's just too much for me."

The young Ravenclaw studied the page for a moment. "It seems pretty straight forward to me."

Hermione looked up at the younger girl in shock. "Can you read this?" She asked in surprise.

"Yes, would you like some help?" Luna asked very tentatively, not wanting to embarrass the older girl.

"Please!" Hermione responded, and scooted over to make room for her.

Luna sat down and began going through the assignment, section by section. Luna would read the text and explain how and why that particular script variant had developed. Hermione had recognized the first set of runes as being Viking, but couldn't read the text.

"You're right." Luna acknowledged. "It is Viking. Shipbuilding was very important to the Vikings. This script was a kind of shorthand used only by shipbuilders. One or two runes represented whole thoughts."

"I see now." Hermione exclaimed in excitement, and with that key she was able to read the rest of the text with ease.

The next script was obviously ancient Irish, but it didn't make any sense. Luna studied it for several minutes, and then a wide grin appeared on her face. "This is a ceremonial text written by a Druid priest. He didn't want just anyone to be able to read it, so he put in a lot of useless symbols to confuse it. Read only the runes with the little squiggle above them." She directed.

Hermione did as she was told, and was amazed at how easy it became. She looked at Luna with something approaching awe. "How did you do that?" She asked in a whisper.

"Runes are easy for me. I've always loved them. They have a simple logic all their own."

While they were studying, Clara Thomas walked by. She was the younger sister of Dean Thomas, and was in her third year. She saw that they were working on runes; a subject that she was having a lot of trouble with, and wondered if she should ask for help. She had never really talked to Hermione Granger before; like most of the younger Gryffindors she was in complete awe of Hermione and her friends. After all, they had faced Voldemort and his Death Eaters and lived. And then there was "Loony" Lovegood; everyone had always told Clara that she was crazy.

"Uh…Hermione?" Clara asked softly.

"Yes, Clara." Hermione responded absently.

"Um…I'm having a lot of trouble with ancient runes. After you help Luna with her assignment could you maybe help me with mine?"

Hermione looked up and smiled. "Well it's not exactly like I'm helping Luna with her assignment; it's more like she's saving my life by helping me with mine."

Hermione looked over at Luna, and the younger girl smiled and nodded. They both scooted over and asked Clara to join them. And as soon as they finished Hermione's assignment they started on Clara's. Within an hour, several other young Gryffindors were gathered around the two girls. Luna Lovegood turned out to be a very kind and generous person. Later that night, as they were getting ready for bed, Clara told her friends, "You know, she's not loony at all, she's real nice." And the other girls readily agreed.

Within a week Luna had become quite popular in Gryffindor House, even though technically she wasn't a member. Many young Gryffindors, who had shied away from her because of her reputation, now actively sought her out and greeted her warmly in the hallways.

One day, when Luna was working alone in the library, two third-year Hufflepuff girls shyly approached her.

"Uh…could we talk to you for a moment?" One of the girls asked shyly. When Luna smiled and nodded the girl continued, a little less nervous. "My name is Mandy and this is Emily." She said, introducing the other girl. "My friend Clara Thomas said you helped her with her rune assignment, and I was wondering if you…" But she never got a chance to finish. Luna smiled warmly and invited them to join her. Within a few minutes several more came over, both Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. And after that none of them thought she was loony either.

- o -

The month of November started badly, with a series of savage attacks on the homes of prominent wizarding families. The Minister of the Interior and his entire family were killed when their home was attacked by a combined force of Death Eaters and Dementors. Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge was also under attack, and the demands for immediate action were becoming irresistible.

The existing defense plan called for teams of Aurors to be stationed at strategic targets around the country. These targets included the Ministry of Magic, the prison of Azkaban, Gringotts main office in Diagon Alley, St. Mungo's Hospital, and several other important sites that were considered prime targets. Cornelius Fudge wanted to break up these concentrations into smaller squads and spread them around more widely. In that way they could quickly react to any local emergency.

Professor Dumbledore strongly argued against this course of action, believing that it played into Voldemort's hands. He believed that the Death Eater attacks were simply diversions intended to spread terror and weaken the defenses around prime targets. He believed that Voldemort would take advantage of the Fudge plan, were it implemented, to pick off isolated squads of Aurors or to launch a coordinated attack against one or more of the prime targets. Instead of dividing their forces, Dumbledore strongly advised the rapid expansion of the Auror Training Program. He felt within a few months the number of active duty Aurors could be tripled.

Cornelius Fudge feared that an expanded Auror force could be used against him, and resisted the idea as best his weakened position would allow. In the end, however, he listened to Dumbledore and the training of new Aurors was begun. A few days later, however, the Minister's own home was attacked. Fudge and his wife were only able to floo out at the last second, and their home was completely destroyed. The following morning he made a blustering, somewhat incoherent broadcast on Wizard Radio. He announced that Auror teams would immediately be broken up into smaller squads and spread around the country. Further, he stated that this decision was his and his alone, and that certain "old school teachers" would be better advised to tend to their books and leave the conduct of the war to him.

That morning at breakfast Harry heard Professor McGonagall say to Professor Sprout: "Well, Fudge has put his foot in it this time."

Two days later a massive attack was launched against Azkaban Prison. The six Aurors guarding it fought valiantly, but were quickly overwhelmed by a combined force of Death Eaters and Dementors. All six died with their faces to the enemy and their wands in their hands. Among the Aurors who died was Kingsley Shaklebolt. Lucius Malfoy and the other Death Eaters captured at the Ministry were all freed.

With no hope of suppressing the news, Minister Fudge went on Wizard Radio and tried to save the situation with a laundry list of excuses. He concluded his remarks by saying that the six brave Aurors would be given state funerals at which he himself would preside.

But the families of the six immediately came forward and denounced Fudge and his speech. They declared that the funerals would be private, and that Albus Dumbledore would say the last words over their loved ones. Further, they requested that Minister Fudge, whom they held responsible, not attend.

That was the last straw. Two days later Fudge was removed from his post after a solid vote of no confidence. The position was immediately offered to Professor Albus Dumbledore. He politely declined, citing his advanced age and the fact that he was a teacher and not a politician. Instead, he suggested Arthur Weasley as the best choice at this critical time. The position was offered to him and he reluctantly accepted. Ron and Ginny were very proud of their father, but realized that only duty made him accept.

Arthur Weasley attacked the problem with his usual boundless energy. A special school was established for the training of new Aurors and Professor Moody was put in charge, with Tonks as his assistant. The word was spread throughout Britain that dedicated young men and women were needed. A call was also put out for retired Aurors to come back and join the fight. Many had left the service during the Fudge years, and now they came flooding back.

With their new responsibilities, Moody and Tonks were no longer able to oversee the training of Harry and his friends. However, an old friend came forward at that moment to take their place. Actually, Dumbledore had long intended that Remus Lupin return to Hogwarts as special instructor to Harry and his friends. While technically not allowed to teach, because of the anti-werewolf legislation that Umbridge had forced through, he was still allowed to tutor individual students. Within two weeks, however, the offending legislation was repealed and Professor Dumbledore was delighted to name him Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor.

- o -

The death of Kingsley Shaklebolt had hit Harry particularly hard. They had become friends while Harry was staying at the Grimmauld Place house the year before. The two had spent many long nights talking before the fire in the library. Ron and Hermione also considered him a friend, and grieved his loss. The four of them, because Luna had rarely left Harry's side since the attack, visited Professor Dumbledore's office two days after the attack.

Harry spoke for the group when he asked: "Professor Dumbledore, we realize that it's the middle of term, but would it be possible for us to attend the funerals?"

Professor Dumbledore thought for a moment. "Yes, Harry, I think it altogether fitting and proper that you and your friends should attend. These people died for our cause and we should all have a chance to say goodbye. The six of you will be excused from class on Tuesday, please meet me in the Great Hall at ten o'clock."

When they reached the Great Hall on Tuesday morning they were surprised by the number of people present, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Edward Lovegood, and Neville's formidable grandmother were all gathered in one corner, speaking in hushed tones. Also present was Remus Lupin, an angry Professor Moody, a tearful Tonks, and many other people that Harry knew. The six teens went over to stand with their parents and friends.

"Your brothers are doing Auror duty today, so that more people could come." Molly Weasley said sadly to Ron.

Harry saw Edward Lovegood take his daughter into a tight hug. Harry knew what they were both thinking. With the way things were going none of them knew who might be next. Luna's Father extended a hand to Harry, and the young man reached out to shake it.

"That's not good enough, Harry." Edward Lovegood said as he pulled Harry into a three-way hug with himself and his daughter. After a few minutes of quiet conversation Professor Dumbledore led them out through the great oak doors and down the grassy slope towards Hagrid's cabin. It was a cold and overcast winter day, with a light dusting of snow on the ground. The cold, gray skies seemed to fit the mood of everyone present.

As the group approached the Forbidden Forest, Professor Dumbledore waved his wand and mumbled some words. With a rumbling sound the trees moved apart to reveal a path that led into the forest. The group proceeded along the path for some distance until they came to a wide green meadow. It was November, and the rest of the forest was dusted with snow. But here it felt like early summer; the temperature was warm and the meadow was crowded with brilliant spring flowers. Even the sky overhead had suddenly turned to a brilliant blue. The bright sun glimmered off the many crystal stones that marked the meadow.

Edward Lovegood laid a hand on Harry's and Luna's shoulders. "This is where we bring our heroes to rest," he whispered.

Professor Dumbledore stood in front of six marble coffins and began to speak.

"We've come here to lay to rest these six brave men and women. They died as heroes in the war against evil, and we bring them here, to our most sacred place, to lie for eternity with the other heroes of this war."

After the service was over most of the people departed. Professor Dumbledore signaled for Harry and Luna to remain behind. The Weasleys, together with Hermione and Neville, watched from the entry gate. Molly, Ginny and Hermione were crying softly.

"There's something here that I need to show you both," Dumbledore said, addressing the two teens. "It wasn't the proper time before, but now it is."

He led the two teens, accompanied by Edward Lovegood, over to the far side of the cemetery, in the direction of four crystal stones. Three stones stood close together, and the fourth was a little to the side.

Harry instinctively walked up to the three stones and read the names carved upon them: "James Potter, Lily Potter, and Sirius Black." He read the names on the three stones with tears in his eyes.

Dumbledore laid a hand on Harry's shoulder. "We realize that Sirius isn't here, but this is where he would want to be. We set up a stone in his honor."

Harry looked over to his left and saw Luna kneeling by the fourth stone, crying. Looking at the face of the stone he read the name "Elizabeth Lovegood."

Looking at Professor Dumbledore questioningly, the old man gave him a sad smile. "Elizabeth Lovegood was possibly the bravest women I've ever known. Even after the first war ended she continued the fight against evil. She died developing spells to help our Aurors."

Harry walked over to Luna and knelt down beside her, putting an arm around her back. She looked at him with tear reddened eyes, smiled sadly, and leaned against his shoulder.

Professor Dumbledore and Edward Lovegood backed away, leaving the two children to their grief. When they reached the gate, they looked back to see Harry and Luna sitting together on the grass between the graves.

"They'll be back when they are cried out. Right now all they need is each other." The old man said.

Harry and Luna remained there all day and into the evening. At dusk Hagrid came down and left a lantern for them by the gate. He looked over at the two, still sitting by the graves, and a large tear rolled down his rough face. Pulling out a large purple handkerchief, he wiped his nose and then returned to his cabin. That evening, long after dark, they returned to the castle. Neither of them felt like going to their own rooms to sleep, so they lay down together on the sofa in the Gryffindor common room. Luna laid her head on Harry's chest, and as she snuggled closer to him he wrapped his arms protectively around her, and then they both fell asleep. Later that night Hermione came down and found her two friends sleeping. She gently covered them with a blanket and settled down in a nearby chair to watch over her friends until morning.


	8. The Right Partner

**Disclaimer:** The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **My special thanks to _aliceravenclaw_ and _John Adams_ for all their help in beta reading this story and keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for their many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been.

**CHAPTER 8: THE RIGHT PARTNER**

Some people thought that Harry Potter was the bravest boy in the world; his girlfriend Luna Lovegood certainly thought so, and his other friends did as well. And Harry was brave; he had already faced Lord Voldemort several times and fully realized that in the end one of them must die at the hands of the other, and that he could accept. But as the snows of late November turned Hogwarts castle into a picture out of a fairy tale, Harry Potter was more and more preoccupied by one gnawing fear. That fear was that at the Yule Ball he would embarrass himself and Luna Lovegood on the dance floor; Harry Potter was no dancer. The night of his first Yule Ball, two years before, he discovered that he didn't even like to dance. But this wasn't for him, it was for Luna. He wanted to make this ball the happiest night of her life, and he would do anything to accomplish that.

As the days got closer, Harry's level of fear grew. Late one night, when he and Hermione were alone in the common room, he broached the subject.

"Uh…Hermione?"

"Um," She answered absently.

"I…ah, really want to make the Yule Ball special for Luna. And, um…could you teach me to dance?"

Hermione took in a sharp breath, and there was a rather fearful look on her face. She knew what he was asking, and what she would be letting herself in for. But he was her best friend, and he needed her.

"I would be happy to teach you to dance, Harry." She replied, managing a weak smile.

The two met in the Room of Requirement whenever they could find the time; and the experience was everything that Hermione feared that it would be. How anyone could be so graceful on a broom, and so clumsy on the dance floor, was something that she simply could not fathom. It seemed like every second step was on her foot; but she persevered nonetheless.

She didn't know that Ron was going through exactly the same thing with Luna; who wanted desperately to make the night wonderful for Harry. Luna hated dancing, at least she thought she did; she had never danced with anyone before in her life. She had very timidly asked Ron to teach her; and as she was one of his very best friends, he agreed. She didn't step on his feet…well not that often, anyway. But she had this annoying habit of going her own way and not allowing him to lead.

The fact that Hermione was spending so much unexplained private time with Harry was also quite disturbing to Ron, and he had to find out what was going on. One night, when they were alone, he asked her.

"Um…Hermione? You and Harry. Is something going on with you two?"

Hermione looked absolutely shocked for a minute, and then just a little bit pleased. Thinking about it for a second she decided that there was no reason why Ron shouldn't know the truth. She put a gentle hand on his shoulder and snuggled up close to him.

"No…nothing at all. The truth is that I'm teaching Harry to dance. He wants to show Luna a particularly good time at the Yule Ball."

A surprised look came over Ron's face and he started laughing. "You're teaching Harry?" He choked out. "I'm teaching Luna to dance, for the very same reason."

They started to compare notes and later that evening, when Harry and Luna returned from an evening walk, they both broke out in a fit of giggles. They refused to tell their friends why they were laughing, but it became so bad that they had to leave the common room when Harry became annoyed.

But Hermione wasn't laughing a few days later, when she limped into the Gryffindor common room after her latest dance lesson with Harry. She saw Ron sitting on the sofa by the fire and hobbled over to him, dropping down at his side.

"Bad session?" He asked sympathetically, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"I just don't understand it," she said is despair. "How can he be so graceful on a broom, and yet be so very clumsy at dancing?"

"I know what you mean. A half hour ago I was with Luna, and it was like a wresting match. She can't just follow, she always has to go her own way."

"I don't know if we can survive this, Ron," Hermione said, rubbing her sore feet.

But they did survive, and two weeks later Hermione reached the point where she was reasonably certain that Harry wouldn't cripple Luna if they danced together. Ron had gotten Luna used to the concept of following a partner, at least most of the time. They both still had their doubts, but it was time to try the two of them together. So Ron and Hermione arranged for simultaneous lessons in the Room of Requirement, without telling either Harry or Luna what they were planning. When they all arrived they sprung their surprise.

"It's time the two of you started practicing together." Ron said. "The ball is only two weeks away and you need to start dancing together."

Hermione waved her wand and the wizard radio started to play an old fashioned waltz. She had hoped for something more contemporary, so that they could dance further apart; for the sake of Luna's feet. But sometimes you just have to take what you can get.

Hermione watched as Harry very self-consciously took Luna in his arms, and they started to move to the music. But something was wrong. This wasn't the way Ron and Hermione thought it would go. The two of them were beautiful together. They danced like they flew together, in perfect harmony; it was like they had been dancing together all their lives.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other in shock, and they had the strange feeling that they had somehow been cheated; these weren't the same people they had danced with. And something else that was strange, these two people were obviously having too much fun. Harry and Luna hated dancing, but now both wore wide smiles. For just a second the idea of possession flashed through Hermione's mind, but she quickly dismissed it.

Then she felt Ron's hand in hers, and he whispered into her ear: "Teachers need to relax too, may I have this dance?"

She blushed slightly, but took his hand as he led her out onto the floor. The four teens danced until past midnight, and it turned out to be a lovely night for all concerned.

- o -

But dancing wasn't the only thing on their minds; school was equally exciting. Their Defense classes with Tonks and Moody had been exciting and fun, and all six teens were looking forward to their first class with Remus Lupin. Tonks took great delight in hinting at a special surprise that Lupin had in store for them, but wouldn't say what it was.

When they entered the Room of Requirement for the first class they were all surprised to see Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Remus Lupin seated on a sofa in front of the fireplace. Professor Dumbledore smiled warmly at the six and invited them to be seated.

"In the last two months the six of you have made remarkable progress with your advanced lessons. Now we want to give you the opportunity to experience something truly unique. I would like to ask Remus Lupin to tell you about it." Dumbledore said with a flourish of his hand.

Remus Lupin looked as tired and careworn as always, but he had a broad smile on his face as he began to speak. "Do you know what this is, Harry?" He asked, holding up a worn, red leather book. Harry shook his head, and Lupin's smile grew broader still. "Well this is the key to a very advanced form of magic. As I think you all know, both Harry's Father and Godfather were Animagus. That is, they had the ability to change into an animal form of their choice. This ability is extremely rare in the wizarding world, and has always been a naturally occurring gift. As you know, Professor McGonagall has the ability to change into a cat. But James and Sirius were different, their transformations were accomplished artificially. Over a period of years they were able to develop special potions and spells that allowed them to become Animagus. They did that so they could keep me company during my own, err, transformations."

"This is the journal of Sirius Black. For the last six months of his life he carefully documented the spells and potions he and James used to accomplish their transformations. He regarded this as a great gift, Harry; one that he wanted to share with you."

Tears rose up unbidden in Harry's eyes; and without a word being said he felt Luna move closer to him and squeeze his hand reassuringly.

"When Sirius…left us, this journal came to me with instructions from him that it be given to you when you were ready for it. When I learned about these special defense classes, I brought it to Professor Dumbledore. For the last two months Professor McGonagall and I have been refining his notes and developing a course of work which will, we believe, allow all six of you to become Animagus; if you're interested, that is."

Interested was something of an understatement. All six teens were thrilled at the prospect, and were literally bubbling over with questions.

"Excuse me, Remus, but why exactly did Sirius consider this ability such a 'great gift?" Harry asked.

"An excellent question, Harry. As you know, Sirius spent a great deal of time in his dog-form. Both he and James felt a sense of freedom in their animal forms that they found very exhilarating. They both said that it was incredibly liberating to run through the forest as an animal. My own transformations were never that pleasurable." Remus said with a touch of bitterness. "But besides that, the ability to change into an animal can give you an important edge when dealing with Voldemort and his death eaters."

"But all Animagus are required to be registered with the Ministry." Hermione said. "Won't Voldemort be able to find out about our new forms?"

"Very good, Miss Grainger. All Animagus are indeed required to be registered; but you six, and the aurors that use this program after you, will be registered with the Minister of Magic personally. Only he will have access to your files."

"What we need you to do tonight is sit down together and discuss what you want your Animagus form to be. At our next session we will begin with the actual processes involved."

With that the three teachers stood and left the Room of Requirement to the six teens. Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville quickly fell into a heated discussion of the pros and cons of each animal form.

"But I still say that one of us should be a bug or a mouse." Hermione insisted. "We could get right in with the enemy and listen to their plans, just like Rita Skitter was able to do."

"It sounds good, Hermione. But just remember that Voldemort has a pet snake. I don't fancy becoming lunch for that thing. A hawk is the animal for me, fast and powerful. I want to be able to get out of trouble as fast as I can get into it."

"You'll never be able to do that, big brother." Ginny said teasingly.

As the discussion went back and forth they all began to notice that Harry and Luna were sitting peacefully on the sofa, not participating at all.

"Aren't you two interested at all?" Ron asked, with just a touch of annoyance.

"It's not that." Harry responded. "It's just we've already decided on our animals."

"So, what animals have you decided upon?" Ginny said impatiently.

"I'm going to be a stag," Harry said with determination. "That was my father's Animagus form."

"And I want to be a wolf." Luna declared.

"A wolf?" Hermione asked in amazement. "Why a wolf, I thought you would choose something unusual, like a Snorkack?"

"I think Luna would make a cute wolf." Harry said, kissing her quickly on the neck.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other and smiled. They were delighted that Harry and Luna had each other; it had taken away a lot of the guilt they had felt the previous semester, when they had gone off alone.

"Better be careful, mate." Ron said slyly. "I understand that wolves have sharp teeth."

Harry gave Luna a scared little boy look and asked coyly, "You wouldn't bite me, would you?"

Luna giggled as she replied. "I'd never bite. I might nibble a little, but never bite."

Hermione looked absolutely scandalized when Harry replied that nibbling was okay.

In the final selection, Hermione chose a Snowy Owl, Ron selected a hawk, Ginny a tigress, and Neville a Lion. They all eagerly looked forward to their training.

- o -

In addition to their defense class, Harry and Luna loved Quidditch practice. Luna had become the unofficial eighth member of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, and worked unceasingly with each member of the team. During the party after their first game against Slytherin, where they won 240 to 10, the team had presented Luna with her own set of Gryffindor Quidditch robes. She had never been so happy in all her life; she was accepted. She never dared wear the robes, because her Ravenclaw housemates already considered her a traitor, but just having them meant a great deal. She had them securely packed away under her bed.

One Sunday in late November the Gryffindor team was out on the pitch practicing when the Slytherin team walked up with their brooms. They completely ignored the Gryffindors and began practicing at the other end of the pitch. Luna was working with the chasers, practicing passing tactics. From high above Harry saw Draco Malfoy streaking down the pitch toward the Gryffindor chasers, who were hovering directly in his line of flight. It was as if in slow motion that he saw Malfoy crash into Luna, sending her hurtling earthwards. Every thought in Harry's mind vanished except that he had to get to Luna. He put his Firebolt into a vertical power dive, braking just inches above the ground. Leaping off his broom he knelt down beside her, cradling her limp body in his arms.

Malfoy was hovered some twenty feet above them laughing. "She needs to keep that piece of junk of hers off the pitch or there are bound to be accidents."

He never even saw the blur of scarlet shooting towards him, but he felt the impact when it crashed into his blind side. Malfoy was knocked sideways off his broom and fell to earth, hitting the snow-covered ground with a sickening thud.

Ron Weasley had flown all the way from the goal and had knocked Malfoy off his broom. He shot down to the ground, drew his wand, and shaking with rage aimed it at the unconscious Slytherin.

"No Ron! Don't! Please don't." Screamed Hermione, from where she had run onto the pitch.

"Mr. Weasley, stop! Mr. Weasley! Put the wand down!" Shouted Madam Hooch, who had run over from the far side of the pitch.

Taking a deep breath, but still shaking, Ron slowly lowered his wand.

"Now go over and check on your friends." She ordered.

Looking up in the air Madan Hooch saw that every Gryffindor player had their wands drawn and grimly aimed at their Slytherin opposite numbers. The slightest spark would start a war.

"All of you." She shouted. "Put away your wands and land immediately."

The Gryffindor players reluctantly obeyed, and flew down to where Harry knelt beside Luna as she was just regaining consciousness.

"Are you alright, Lu?" Harry asked, in a voice as close to panic as anyone had ever heard from him.

"My knee," Luna said, wincing in pain.

Hermione used a first aid spell to dull the pain as Harry picked Luna up and carried her to the Hospital Wing, refusing repeated offers of assistance along the way. The Gryffindor team following close behind him.

Then Madam Hooch turned and walked grimly over to Draco Malfoy, who had just regained consciousness. In spite of his pain he was screaming in anger. "You all saw it! Weasley tried to kill me! I want him expelled immediately. I demand…"

"Silence!" ordered Madam Hooch, in a fierce voice that made them all freeze. "I did indeed see what happened. I saw you violently attack Miss Lovegood. I think it very likely that you will be the one expelled, Mr. Malfoy. Now, to the Headmaster's Office, immediately!"

"But my injuries, what about my injuries?" He demanded.

"You will either go to the Headmaster's Office now, under your own power, or I will ask Ron Weasley to come back and help you."

Draco went pale as a sheet, but managed to get to his feet and hobble up the hill. Madam Hooch walked behind him, watching the angry students gathering on either side. Luna had made many friends over the past weeks, and much as she disliked the idea, she might have to protect Draco from them. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Professor Dumbledore leave the castle and walk towards them. Students who saw him that day said it was something that they would never forget; the raw fury in his eyes terrified all of them.

Meanwhile, Harry had reached the Hospital Wing and gently laid Luna in a bed by the door. Madam Pomfrey asked the teens to leave so she could make her examination; but when Luna refused to release Harry's hand she agreed that he could stay. Her injury turned out to be a serious break, and the medi-witch insisted that Luna needed to remain and rest for two or three days. While Harry stayed with Luna, a very angry Ron Weasley went looking for Malfoy. He was soon joined by Ginny and Neville. At first Hermione tried to stop them, even though she knew in her heart that nothing in the world could do that, and then decided to join them. Fortunately, for Draco, Professor Dumbledore had already expelled him and escorted the boy off school grounds. He had demanded the right to pack his trunk and say goodbye to his friends.

"Your wishes are not served here." Dumbledore declared, his eyes flashing with fury. "I would prefer that none of Miss Lovegood's friends find you, although you certainly deserve what they would do to you. You are leaving Hogwarts this minute, or you will probably never leave it."

Draco left with no further arguments.

- o -

Harry sat up with Luna until late that night, only leaving for long enough to send a reassuring message to her father. Luna had so many visitors that it really surprised her. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick and Lupin all came by for visits. Nearly every student in Gryffindor house paid her a visit and many Hufflepuffs as well. The Gryffindor Quidditch team spent most of the day; as did Hermione and Neville. And of course there was Harry. Harry who never left, who held her hand the whole time. But no one failed to notice that not a single Ravenclaw came, not one.

At nine o'clock Madam Pomfrey told Harry that he had to go, that Luna needed her sleep. After kissing her goodnight he reluctantly went up to Gryffindor tower, put on his pajamas and went to bed. He lay there for the longest time, staring at the ceiling, but he just couldn't go to sleep. Finally he got up, covered himself with his invisibility cloak, and went back to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey was nowhere to be seen. He quietly shifted an empty bed next to Luna's and lay down beside her, covered by his invisibility cloak. Finally he was able to sleep.

Later that night, when Madam Pomfrey made her rounds, she noticed that a bed had been moved and that its mattress was curiously depressed. Leaning down she felt the warm form of an invisible body lying on the bed. Carefully she peeled back the invisibility cloak to reveal a sleeping Harry Potter. His hair was more tousled than usual and he looked so very young. She knew he must love the girl sleeping at his side very much. To have that kind of love so early in life was truly a gift; and no matter what fate had in store for them the old witch thought them very lucky.

She smiled down at the two children. Professor Dumbledore had already advised her of their relationship. She shook her head, as if one look wouldn't tell her that these two weren't deeply in love. He had told her in a sad voice that he didn't want their relationship to be interfered with. Madam Pomfrey had worked with Albus Dumbledore for more than thirty years, and she knew that his wisdom was beyond understanding. And yet when he talked about these two children she sensed a great sadness. Why? She didn't want to know. Sometimes it's better not knowing.

She carefully covered the boy with a blanket and left him to sleep.

At seven o'clock the next morning she gently woke Harry up. At first he was very embarrassed that he had been caught, but the nurse didn't seem angry at all. "If you go down to the Great Hall and get a tray, you and Miss Lovegood can have breakfast together before your first class," she said. Harry gave her a wide smile and hurried away.

Luna woke up shortly after Harry left. At first she didn't recognize where she was. She thought that she was in the Hospital Wing, but here she was surrounded by flowers, and candy, and dozens and dozens of get well cards. By the side of her bed were four large vases of beautifully arranged flowers. The bouquet on the end caught her immediate attention. It was a beautiful arrangement of red, yellow and pink wild roses. 'Who knew that she loved wild roses more than any other flower in the world?' She wondered; and took the card from the bouquet. It was signed 'With love always, Harry' and then in a postscript he had written, 'I asked your Father to send these from the Valley of the Rain Cave. I don't think the nymphs would have minded.' She smiled to herself. 'How can he be so incredibly sweet?' She wondered. 'Someone who had lived the life he had, and was still so very sweet and gentle.' She felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

Then she looked at the other cards. Deep red roses from Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville; lovely silver-pink roses from Minerva, who had became such a good friend; and finally, tulips and daffodils from Professor Dumbledore. Spring flowers in the depth of winter. But then, Albus Dumbledore could do almost anything. But it wasn't just these; there was candy from the girls of Hufflepuff, more flowers from the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Violets and Baby's Breath from Clara Thomas, and good wishes from all the friends she had made. She was crying when Harry returned, and he had to hold her in his arms for several minutes before she could stop; she was just so very, very happy.

- o -

After Harry went to class Professor McGonagall came up to visit. Luna was sitting at a table near her bed, writing furiously. Professor McGonagall couldn't explain her affinity for this strange child, except that she too had experienced loneliness as a girl. Also, Luna's sitting up with her on the night she had lost her friend touched her deeply.

"Good morning Luna. Aren't you supposed to be in bed resting?"

"Good morning, Minerva." The young girl said a bit sheepishly. "I know I should be resting, but if I ever fall behind on this homework I'll never get caught up."

"What are you working on?"

"I have to do a three-foot report on the medical uses of Osha Root and Mugwort for Professor Snape."

Professor McGonagall made a face that showed obvious distaste at the mention of the Potion Master's name.

Luna giggled. "Harry always looks like that when we talk about Professor Snape, too."

In spite of herself, Minerva McGonagall smiled. "He's really an excellent potions instructor, but doesn't have the best personality." She hesitated a moment, and then changed the subject abruptly. "Luna, all your close friends are in Gryffindor House, are they not?"

"Yes." Luna answered uncertainly.

"Would you consider transferring to our House? I'm sure you would be happier, and we would all love to have you, including myself."

Luna looked sad for a moment. "Yes, Minerva, I probably would be happier; but I can't do it. My Mother was in Ravenclaw, and my Father was so proud when I was sorted there. I just can't allow them to drive me out."

The old woman sniffed as she stood up. She laid a gentle hand on the young girls head. "They're not worthy of you. I think the Sorting Hat made a mistake in your case; you're too brave for a Ravenclaw. You're always welcome with us, anytime you change your mind." Then the old woman hurried away before the tears came.

- o -

Remus Lupin was proving to be an excellent instructor for the special defense training class, and the Animagus training proceeded faster than anyone would have thought possible. Within the first ten days Harry and Luna had managed to put on a thick coat of fur and assumed the shape of their animal; although Luna joked that Harry looked more like a horse than a stag. After one session, as they were walking back to their dorms, Luna got a mischievous glint in her eyes. She came up behind Harry and jumped on his back. "Give me a ride, horsey." She screamed in mirth. Harry grabbed her legs and started running down the hallway laughing, carrying her on his back. Cho Chang gave them a disgusted look as they passed her, and that just made them laugh all the harder.

As the days went on the teens became better and better at their transformations. Neville was roaring so loud that the walls actually shook, and he had developed a beautiful tawny coat and mane that Ginny Weasley thought was very sexy. Ginny's tiger-form was just as good, and Neville joked that she looked beautiful in stripes; a statement that always caused Ginny to blush furiously. Only Hermione Granger seemed to be having some difficulty. She had gotten the form of a Snowy Owl, but had very few feathers; and she found that fact very embarrassing. It didn't help when she overheard Ron refer to her as "looking like a plucked chicken." She went to Luna in tears, and she and Harry worked with Hermione until she was perfect. Then she got even with Ron, swooping down on him and plucking out some of his tail feathers. Ron complained to Harry later that he thought she was going to take his head off with that dive, and losing the tail feathers really hurt. Once again Harry warned Ron to be careful about what he said in front of the girls, that they could take care of themselves.

But Ron only seemed to learn the hard way. One night Harry and Ron were watching as Neville and Ginny were switching back and forth between their human and animal forms. Harry was admiring Ginny's beautiful tiger coat, but Ron just brushed it off and said "She looks like a big house cat." It was definitely the wrong thing to say, for along with the tiger's beautiful coat Ginny also received the tiger's acute hearing. She swung around to face her brother, snapping her steel jaws together with a loud crashing sound. As she walked towards him, head lowered and ears back, real fear showed on Ron's face. He quickly turned into his hawk form and flew up, landing on the chandelier. Everyone else in the room was rolling with laughter. Ginny took up a position directly below the chandelier; licking her chops menacingly, her shining yellow eyes on the trembling hawk above her. Ron looked down from his perch knowing perfectly well what Ginny was thinking: 'Come down brother and let me stroke your pretty feathers, with my teeth!' Ron spent the rest of the session up in the chandelier, thinking that Ginny had become a little bit too much like a tiger to suit him.

- o -

Later that week Harry sat by the window of his dorm room. He was staring out at the bitter-cold blizzard that had blown up outside. The storm had arrived the previous night, and was now blowing with full fury. The temperatures had plummeted as an icy wind ripped across the castles open battlements. All outdoor classes had been canceled, and students generally tried to stay close to the warmth of their common rooms. But even the thick stone walls of Hogwarts castle couldn't keep out the sound of the moaning wind. Turning away from the window, Harry noticed that Neville was sitting in the middle of his bed, surrounded by catalogs.

"What are you doing, Neville?" Harry asked, curious about the large pile of catalogs that were now beginning to overflow onto the floor.

"I'm trying to find a Christmas present for Ginny." Neville replied, tossing another catalog aside. "I want it to be special and unique; I want it to say how I feel about her."

"No present can say that." Harry said gently, picking up one of Neville's catalogs. "You have to tell her that."

"I know, I know. I just get tongue tied when I'm around her. How about you, Harry? Any luck finding a present for Luna? She can't be the easiest person to buy for."

"No, she's not, and it's really driving me crazy. I want it to be perfect, too."

Seamus Finnigan, sitting over on his bed reading, called out. "You could always get her another silly hat. She doesn't seem to have enough of them."

He expected his remarks to be greeted with waves of laughter from Ron and Neville. Instead they were met with stony silence and some very ugly looks. He quickly went back to his books in silence.

Harry knew that he was running out of time, but he just couldn't think about it anymore. He went to bed in frustration. Late that night he sat up in bed with a flash of inspiration, the kind of inspiration that often comes to one only in dreams. He leaped out of bed, grabbing his glasses as he did so, and rushed to his desk. He pulled out parchment and a quill and started to write furiously.

Ron rolled over and shielded his eyes from the torch burning above Harry's desk. "What's going on, Harry?" He asked, obviously more interested in sleep than an answer.

"Nothing, Ron. Go back to sleep." Harry hastily answered; as he applied a wax seal to the scroll he had just finished writing. He quickly put out the torch and threw on his cloak over his pajamas. With his lighted wand he made his way down to the common room, out the portrait hole, and then up to the Owlery Tower. At first Hedwig was reluctant to answer her master's call, but finally the loyal bird flew down and lighted on Harry's arm.

"I know it's late," Harry said, "but I need this message delivered to Diagon Alley tomorrow." She gave him a slightly annoyed hoot, but extended her leg nevertheless. As he attached the message he gave her directions on where to take it. The bird nipped Harry gently and then spread her great wings and flew out into the night.

Harry waited nervously the whole next day for a reply. He checked the Owlery at every opportunity, but Hedwig had not returned. He knew that she had a long flight, and she probably wouldn't return until the next day; but Harry hated waiting.

The next morning, at breakfast, a flock of nearly a hundred owls flew in through the upper windows of the Great Hall. They soared down to the eagerly waiting students below, dropping off newspapers, parcels and letters. Hedwig was among them, and she landed right in front of Harry. He excitedly removed the scroll from her leg. She greeted him warmly, hooted twice, and flew off to the Owlery to get some rest.

Fortunately Luna hadn't come down yet, and Harry was able to quickly scan the parchment. At first he smiled, but then a frown came onto his face. He hastily pulled ink and a quill from his backpack and wrote a quick note at the bottom of the letter.

"What's going on?" Ron asked, curious about his friends' strange behavior.

"I'll tell you later. I've got to send this letter right away," Harry declared as he got up from the table and headed towards the stairs that led to the Owlery Tower.

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances. "Something's going on," Ron stated with certainty.

Two days later the school owl that Harry had used to send his last message returned. But as he read the message this time Harry was all smiles. An application came with the letter, which Harry quickly filled out and returned.

A week later a package arrived, but not addressed to Harry. He had made arrangements for Professor Lupin to receive it. The last thing Harry wanted was for this particular package to be dropped off in the middle of the Great Hall.

When he entered Professor Lupin's office his teacher gave him a wide grin. "It's here" he said, and pulled out a long silver box. Harry opened the box and gave a low whistle. "It's perfect," he exclaimed in admiration.

"Luna is a very lucky girl," Professor Lupin declared.

"No," Harry responded, picking up the box, "I'm the lucky one."

"You know, Harry. I really like you and Luna together; you bring out the best in each other."

Harry really appreciated Professor Lupin's comment; it was nice that the people they respected accepted them.

When Harry returned to his dorm room with the silver box he found Ron and Neville waiting for him. They were talking in low whispers and looked surprised when he entered.

"Okay, mate. It's time to tell. What's going on?" Ron asked in a serious tone.

Harry looked down at the floor a little sheepishly. "Sorry about the mystery, guys. I just got a Christmas present for Luna and I didn't want her to find out."

"You found something. That's great!" Neville responded with enthusiasm. "Can we see it?"

Harry smiled and set the box on his bed and opened it. Ron's eyes got large as galleons as he laid his hand on the glassy smooth handle. "It's a Firebolt Plus, isn't it?" Ron asked in awe.

"That's right."

"But this is a better broom than yours. Why not keep this and give Luna your old broom?"

"Because Luna deserves the best." Harry responded, a little more defensively than he had intended.

"I wish I was your girlfriend." Ron said, without really thinking.

"Oh please, Ron, I don't even want to think about that."

"Sorry." Ron responded, turning a little pink about the ears. "Do you think she'll let me ride it?"

"Come on. You know she will." Harry put the lid back on the box and carefully put it under his bed.

- o -

One Sunday morning in December, Hagrid was chopping wood outside of his cabin when two second-year Hufflepuff girls ran frantically up to him.

"Professor Hagrid, Professor Hagrid! Something strange is happening in the forest." One of them exclaimed.

"Now wha's all this abou'?" He answered in his normally gruff voice.

"We just saw a stag and a wolf playing together. Down at the edge of the forest." They declared, and pointed down the slope.

"No, no." Hagrid responded kindly. "Those two animals are natural enemies; they were more likely tryin' ta kill each other."

"They were playing!" The bolder of the two girls insisted adamantly. "First the wolf would chase the stag in and around the trees, and then they would reverse roles. And there's something else." She said, a little more shyly. "When they finished playing they seemed to be…err, nuzzling each other."

Hagrid gave the girls a strange look. "Show me." He ordered. They led him down a path to the edge of the forest, and sure enough, about a hundred meters away, he saw a black wolf and a stag standing together. They did seem uncommonly friendly. But when they saw him, they ran off into the trees.

That evening at dinner Hagrid told Professor Dumbledore about the strange thing he had seen. "It must be them students puttin' love spells on the forest animals. It jus' isn' natural." He declared.

The old man chuckled. "No, Hagrid. It's the most natural thing in the world. I wouldn't worry about it."

Professor McGonagall was listening in on their conversation, smiling. Later, with a smile on his face, Professor Dumbledore said, "You might suggest to Harry and Luna that they go a little deeper into the forest before they transform the next time. They seem to be upsetting Hagrid."

"Yes, Professor." Minerva McGonagall responded with an unusual twinkle in her eye.


	9. Bewitched

**Disclaimer:** The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **My special thanks to _aliceravenclaw_ and _John Adams_ for all their help in beta reading this story and keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for their many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been.

**CHAPTER 9: BEWITCHED**

Harry and Ron sat in the Gryffindor Common Room playing a game of Chess. It was the night of the Yule Ball, and they were all wearing their dress robes. Harry in particular looked rather dashing in his Royal Blue robes with silver fastenings. The months of Quidditch practice and defense training had helped Harry to fill out considerably; and lately he was getting more than a few appreciative glances from the girls of his own and other houses. But none of that really mattered to Harry, he only had eyes for one girl; but where was she? Luna had come over early in the afternoon, and she and Ginny had been cloistered up in Hermione's room ever since. 'Why did it always take girls so long?' Harry wondered.

"Checkmate." Ron called out. Harry looked down to see Ron's Queen decapitate his last major piece, a very trembling Knight. It was Harry's third loss in a row, and his chess pieces were beginning to threaten a mutiny.

Sitting on the table next to Harry was a package wrapped in silver and green paper and a crystal vase containing two dozen perfect silver-pink roses. Ron looked at them enviously, and realized that he really should have gotten Hermione something.

"You know, Harry." Ron began, waving at the roses, "It's just a dance. Don't you think you're going a little overboard?"

"No." Was Harry's simple response, the slightest of smiles creeping onto his face.

"I know what you got her for Christmas, and then this on top of it. Aren't you worried about spoiling her?"

"Luna?" Harry asked incredulously. "Absolutely not."

Ron shrugged his shoulders. "Want another game of chess?"

"Sure." Harry responded. As they began to set up the board for another game, Harry caught Ron's eye. He nodded in the direction of Neville Longbottom, and Ron glanced over. Neville was sitting nervously in a chair by the fire, looking up at the bronze wall clock as it ticked off the seconds. Both boys knew that Neville was terribly fond of Ginny, but that he was having a real problem with his shyness. Neville wanted so badly to say and do just the right things, and the strain was beginning to show. Harry had told him to just relax and let it happen, but that was easier said than done.

Harry looked from Ron's eyes over to Neville and then down at the chessboard. Ron thought for a moment and then got the idea.

"Hey, Neville." Ron called. "How about a game of chess. Harry isn't much of a challenge and it will take your mind off…err, things."

"Um…Okay." And Neville stood up and changed places with Harry.

As Harry watched Ron and Neville begin to play, his thoughts drifted to how differently things had developed for the six of them. Ron and Hermione had liked each other since third year, but had wasted two years in constant bickering. They were both strong and independent people, with very different personalities. Their relationship, until recently, had seemed more like a struggle for control than a romance. In the last six months, however, they had finally begun to relax and accept each other. Harry wondered if it wasn't the war against Voldemort that finally made them realize that time was precious, and not to be wasted.

Neville and Ginny had a completely different problem. For them it was not a question of aggressiveness, but one of shyness. They clearly liked each other very much, but feared doing or saying the wrong thing. Neville had gained a great deal of confidence over the last year, but he was very inexperienced with girls. But Ginny was patient and gentle, and Harry was sure she would bring him around in the end.

Harry could understand Neville's fears all too well. His own experience with Cho Chang had been very similar. Neither of them really understood what the other needed or wanted. Harry understood now that it wasn't all her fault; she just wasn't ready to move into another relationship so soon after Cedric's death. If Harry had been more patient and understanding he might have been able to help her through her grief. Still, he was glad things had gone the way that they had; now he had Luna, and she was absolutely perfect for him.

He thought back to their early days together. Luna had made it so easy for him. He never felt that shyness around her that Neville felt with Ginny, nor the frustration he felt with Cho. Wondering why that was, Harry came to the conclusion that it was because they had become best friends first, and fell in love after. Remius Lupin once told him, when talking about Harry's parents, that it is always special when best friends fall in love; the trust is always there. He only realized now how true Lupin's words were.

It was at that moment that Ginny came down the stairs from the girl's dormitory. Neville looked up from the chessboard and was stunned by how nice she looked. He went over and took her hand gently in his and said, "You look incredible."

Ginny blushed bright red, but whispered "Thank you," and kissed him on the cheek, causing him to blush as well. Harry knew that the two of them would make it, it was clear that they were right for each other.

"Where's Luna and Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Hermione is just finishing Luna's hair. They will be down in just a minute." Ginny responded.

"She didn't need to go to so much trouble. There's no way Luna could be any more beautiful to me than she already is." Harry said sincerely.

At that moment Luna and Hermione came down the stairs. Harry took in a deep breath when he first saw her. It was like he had never really seen her before. To Harry, Luna was bewitchingly beautiful, looking so much like her mother that it startled him. Harry took another deep breath, to find his voice, and stepped forward and took her hand in his. In the most serious tone he could master he said, "Well, you've done it to me again."

Luna looked quite uncertain as she responded, "Did what?"

"Proven me wrong. I was just telling Ginny that there was no way they could make you more beautiful than you already are, but I was wrong. You've never looked lovelier."

It had been a long time since Luna blushed around Harry, she knew him too well for that kind of shyness, but at that moment she did. Then she gave him a dazzling smile and a kiss on the cheek. Hermione and Ginny looked at each other in shock; they could never have imagined Harry Potter saying anything so sweet and romantic.

Harry picked up the wrapped present and handed it to Luna. And then, much to Ron's surprise, Harry handed the roses to Hermione. She accepted them uncertainly, and came close to tears as she read the card. It said: "With all my thanks to the best dance teacher, and the best friend, in the world. Harry." She smiled widely and gave Harry a big hug.

Then Luna handed her present to Ron. The note read, "To a wonderful friend who helped me when I needed it, love Luna." The box turned out to be a case of chocolate frogs. Ron blushed slightly pink as he kissed Luna on the cheek, and then turning to Harry he said. "Don't forget, mate, I have a dance with this lovely lady tonight."

"You do," Harry responded. "But just one."

Then Harry reached down and picked up a small white box, and handed it to Luna. Through the clear lid she could see that it contained three perfect orchids, two in light blue to match her robes and one in the purest white. With a loving smile she asked him if he would please pin them on for her. As he pinned the corsage to the shoulder of her robes he kissed her gently on the cheek and told her again how beautiful she looked.

Neville and Ron handed Ginny and Hermione similar boxes, and received kisses from the girls as they pinned them on. Although, the way Ron's hands were shaking, Hermione was certain he was going to stick her with the pin.

The three boys had discussed corsages weeks before, and Neville had volunteered to have orchids sent from his greenhouses at home. He had been raising orchids since he was a young boy, and was very proud of some of his rare specimens. Madam Sprout had offered to make them up for her favorite student and his friends, and everything went off perfectly.

A smiling Luna took Harry's arm and they headed out the portrait hole, with the others following. As they reached the bottom of the grand staircase, Harry and his friends joined the throng of other students waiting for the great oak doors to be opened. The Ball was to start promptly at eight o'clock, and so the six mingled with the other students and waited. As Harry glanced around the room he received a sudden and unexpected shock. There, across the room, he saw a smirking Draco Malfoy leaning against the wall staring at him. He had his arm around Pansy Parkinson, and whispered something in her ear. Then the two of them sauntered over.

"Potter and Lovegood, I see that the two of you are still together. A perfect match if I ever saw one." Draco said sarcastically.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Harry said through gritted teeth, his hand tightening on the wand inside his robe. At that moment Luna laid a gentle hand on his arm and he relaxed ever so slightly.

"I can ask anyone I want to the Yule Ball." Pansy sneered. "So naturally I invited Draco."

"That's only because no one else would take you." Ron interjected.

"You want this out right now, Weasley?" Draco demanded angrily.

"I think I'd count my numbers first if I were you, Draco." Hermione said sweetly. "You're a bit outnumbered."

Malfoy looked at the six determined faces in front of him and decided that she might be right. "Another time, Weasley; there will be another time."

At that moment the great oak doors opened and the students flooded in. As they entered the Great Hall, Harry noticed it was decorated very much like his first Yule Ball. Twelve beautifully decorated Christmas Trees lined the walls, and Holly and Mistletoe hung everywhere. A light snow fell from the starlit sky of the magical ceiling, disappearing the moment it touched anything solid. An enormous Yule Log burned brightly in the great fireplace, making everything warm and cheerful. A hundred fairies criss-crossed the hall, leaving trails of red, blue and silver stars.

Everything was the same, and yet, looking down at Luna, Harry realized how completely different it was. Luna's eyes were even wider than normal, if that was possible, as she took in the beauty of the Great Hall at Christmas. Harry remembered, much to his regret, that Luna had missed his first Yule Ball. She had told him how she had sat at the window of her dorm room and watched the couples in the garden below. This year, with Luna, everything was new and magical.

They selected a table near the front of the room. Harry, on his very best behavior, carefully pulled out her chair so Luna could sit down. When he sat down next to her, he saw her waving up at the High Table. He turned to look and was surprised to see a familiar grey-haired man waving back at his daughter. Edward Lovegood was seated at the faculty table next to a smiling Professor McGonagall. She was dressed very stylishly in wine-colored robes and had silver combs in her hair. She didn't look at all like the stern head of Gryffindor House that Harry knew.

Looking along the faculty table Harry noticed a number of new faces, and next to Professor Dumbledore, a familiar old one. There sat Grizel Dane, who Harry remembered from the Hogmead Autumn Faire, talking animatedly with a smiling Professor Dumbledore. The old man's eyes were twinkling like they did in the past, before Voldemort had returned, and Harry couldn't help but smile.

"It looks like our headmaster has a date." Ginny giggled.

"A perfect date." Luna corrected dreamily, and Harry couldn't agree more.

The most surprising sight of all was Professor Severus Snape. No one could remember Professor Snape wearing anything but black, but here he was dressed in rich Turquoise colored robes with silver fastenings. His hair was clean and nicely styled. And the greatest shock of all, he was actually smiling at Madam Pomfrey, who sat by his side.

At that moment Professor Dumbledore stood and raised his arms. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen," he began. A hush fell over the room and all eyes turned towards the Headmaster. "I would like to welcome all of you to the Hogwarts Yule Ball. This year you will notice something different, I have invited the faculty to bring guests of their own, so we can all enjoy the Ball. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our special guests, the Weird Sisters and The Moonspinners."

Harry looked over to the stage and saw two very different bands. The Weird Sisters, dressed in multi-colored metallic robes, played the most contemporary of wizarding music, aimed primarily at a teen audience. The Moonspinners, on the other hand, was a classical string orchestra specializing in ballroom pieces. They were dressed in formal black concert robes, which couldn't have clashed more with the colorful dress of the Weird Sisters.

"Music is a magic all of its own, and we hope you will enjoy both of the styles that will be presented here tonight." With that remark Professor Dumbledore took his seat and the Weird Sisters began playing their first number. After they finished, the Moonspinners played their first number. The music couldn't have been more different. The first was rather loud, and very contemporary; while the second was a soft and romantic waltz from the previous century. The teachers and their guests took to the floor for the second piece. Few students choose to participate, as this form of dancing was foreign to them. Instead they sat at their tables and talked or stared open-mouthed as their instructors waltzed around the dance floor. Two of the few students who did choose to dance were Harry and Luna; their first dance together had been a waltz, and they rather liked them.

They didn't realize it, but as they danced together the two teens received more than a few appreciatively glances from their fellow students; just as they had when they flew together. Harry waltzed Luna dazzlingly across the floor with a grace that surprised everyone; except perhaps Professor Dumbledore. From the broad smiles on their faces everyone could tell they were having a wonderful time. Their unlikely relationship was now accepted by half the school; although those in Ravenclaw still thought Harry was crazy, and the Slytherins thought he was merely showing off.

Dancing near to Edward Lovegood and Minerva McGonagall, the two smiled at each other knowingly. The older couple seemed to be having a wonderful time.

Glancing over, Edward Lovegood smiled at the two teens. "Be careful, Harry, dancing to this kind of music your fellow students might think you a bit odd."

Harry smiled back at the older man. "That's okay. Most of them think I'm rather odd already."

Luna whispered something in Harry's ear and he smiled; partly because her warm breath tickled and partly because it was a good idea. Harry stopped dancing and tapped Edward Lovegood on the shoulder. "May I cut in, Sir?" He asked, a bit uncertainly.

Luna put her arms out, and her father, smiling broadly, took her in his arms and began to dance across the floor. Harry, a good deal more self-consciously, put his arms around Professor McGonagall, and began to dance. The student body stared on in complete silence, totally shocked by what they were seeing.

"That was a very nice gesture, Mr. Potter." Professor McGonagall said, a smile on her face.

"Thank you, Professor. But, uh…is this proper?" Harry asked uncertainly.

Smiling warmly she answered. "Yes, Harry. Tonight it's quite proper, and I thank you for asking me." And then, after a moment, she added. "You've really matured in the past few months; Luna has had a profound influence on you."

With that Harry relaxed, and really enjoyed the rest of the dance.

After the second dance concluded, Professor Dumbledore announced that dinner would then be served. Golden plates appeared in front of each student along with a small menu card. Harry remembered the procedure from his last Yule Ball, and explained it to Luna. She was intrigued by the system, and called for Roast Beef, mashed Potatoes and Peas. Harry thought this an excellent choice, and asked for the same. The house elves had done themselves proud, and Harry made a mental note to go down to the kitchen and congratulate Dobby. Just as they were finishing, Draco Malfoy strolled casually over to the table.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Ron demanded.

"Just to ask how your dinner was. You may not realize it, but you did me a favor when you helped get me expelled. It was only after I left school that I really started to learn the important lessons, the ones that will really matter. I have you to thank for it; you can be sure I won't forget." He said maliciously, a gleam in his eye.

From out of nowhere Luna asked Draco, "Did you ever read Animal Farm, by a muggle writer named George Orwell?"

"What did you say?" Draco asked, somewhat unnerved by her change of subject.

"Animal Farm. It's a book by a writer named George Orwell. Did you ever read it?"

"What….No….What has that got to do with anything?" Draco responded, now completely confused.

"Well you really should, you know." Luna said in her old misty way. "It's about this group of evil pigs that were trying to take control of the farm they lived on." Then she tilted her head to one side and looked at the blond headed boy very intently. "You know Hermione, Draco would look very interesting as a pig, don't you think?" With that she took her wand out and held it in her hand thoughtfully.

The blood drained out of Draco's face and he became deathly pale. "You stay away from me… you…you freak!" He shouted in horror, backing away from the table. Not watching where he was going, the terrified boy stumbled over an empty chair and fell to the floor in a heap. Glancing up he saw Luna smiling at him mischievously, and waving her wand back and forth. He scrambled to his feet and stumbled backwards towards the door, the whole room laughing at this most comical scene. As he ran out of the Great Hall a flustered Pansy Parkinson followed him, looking completely humiliated.

Everyone at the table was still laughing when the Moonspinners began to play their next number. Harry got to his feet and was about to ask Luna for the dance when Ron beat him to it.

Looking at Harry in a mock serious manner, Ron asked. "May I ask your lovely and talented partner for the next dance?"

"Why of course you may, my good sir." Harry responded with a flourish of his hand. "If I may ask yours?"

"But of course." Ron replied, with a gallant bow.

Luna and Hermione were both laughing as the two boys led them onto the dance floor, accompanied by applause from some nearby Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs who had witnessed the Draco Malfoy affair. The Ravenclaws and Slytherins were too shocked to say or do anything.

It turned out to be a wonderful night, and one that they would always remember. After the last dance was over Harry walked Luna back to Ravenclaw Tower. It was late, but he really didn't want to say goodnight. It had been a perfect night with the perfect girl; but he also felt a strange sadness. Something in the back of his mind seemed almost fatalistic about this night, and he desperately didn't want to see it end. When he tried to look to the future it was so uncertain; would they ever have a night like this again? Luna seemed to understand and feel the same way; she took his hand, and looking deep into his eyes, suggested a visit to the Astronomy Tower to look at the stars. Harry eagerly agreed.

It was a cold, blustery night on the tower; but thanks to a warming spell and their winter cloaks they barely felt it. They sat together on the battlement, and held each other tightly. Six hours later, as the first pink light of dawn showed in the eastern sky, they were still there. Very reluctantly they left this special place and returned to their dorm rooms to pack. Edward Lovegood had invited Harry to spend the Christmas holidays with them, and he had eagerly accepted. The train would be leaving early, and they still had much to do. When Harry kissed Luna at the entrance to the Ravenclaw Tower, it was with more passion than Harry knew he possessed. Desperately clinging to his shoulders, Luna seemed to understand what neither of them could express in words. They were defying both the Fates and the future; they could only be certain of this one moment in time, and they both wanted to take the full measure of it.

- o -

The return trip to King's Cross the next day was quick and enjoyable. The six teens had gotten a compartment to themselves and occupied their time with exploding snap, chess, and excited talk about Christmas. Molly Weasley had invited the Lovegoods, Longbottoms and Harry to come to their home on Christmas Eve for dinner and opening presents, and everyone was excited.

For Harry, the Lovegood's home always felt warm and safe and secure, like the home he had always dreamed of. Grimmy met them at the front door and escorted them up to their rooms, wagging her tail madly. A fire was burning in the hearth as he entered his bedroom; the weak winter sun coming in from the west facing windows gave the ancient wood paneling a particularly warm glow. He stretched out on his bed to soak in the warm feeling, just for a minute, and fell asleep. He was awakened with a start when both Luna and Grimmy jumped into the middle of his bed.

"Wake up, sleepy head." She exclaimed. "You promised Grimmy and me a run in the woods, and we want it, now!"

Grumbling something about hyperactive females, Harry dragged himself out of bed and followed them down the stairs. When Luna and Harry changed themselves into their Animagus forms, Grimmy didn't know what to make of it. They still smelled the same, but they looked completely different. But Grimmy was a smart wolf, like all of her kind, and she adapted quickly. Soon all three of them were out in the meadow running and playing and having a wonderful time. They continued until it had become completely dark outside, and even longer. Finally Edward Lovegood had to call them in, they had a big day planned for tomorrow and they needed at least a little rest.

- o -

Harry and Luna were having breakfast in the Lovegood kitchen the next morning when they heard a knock at the back door. Harry had reluctantly agreed to go to Diagon Alley with Ron and help him find a Christmas present for Hermione, and he expected that it was him. He was surprised when Luna returned with Ginny and Hermione, who sat down at the table and started to help themselves to his blueberry waffles. Harry smiled good naturedly, and put in another batch of waffles.

"What are you two doing here?" Harry asked.

"While you're helping my brother with his Christmas shopping, the three of us are going through the Lovegood library looking for Avalon," Ginny said with a grin.

"Harry, can you do me a big favor?" Hermione asked, a serious look on her face.

"Sure."

"Try to steer Ron away from more books."

"I thought you loved books."

"I do, but I'm sixteen years old now. Maybe he could get something just a little bit romantic."

Ginny's eyes twinkled mischievously. "I know what he can get, Harry. Before school started Hermione and I were at Diagon Alley. She saw a lavender silk nightie at a shop called the 'Pink Witch' that she really liked."

Hermione turned bright red and gave Ginny a dirty look. "Harry, don't you dare!" She exclaimed. "I said a little bit romantic, but nothing like that."

Ginny then looked over at a smiling Luna. "Well maybe if Hermione isn't interested, you might consider it for Luna."

Without the trace of a blush Luna responded. "Harry knows I only sleep in flannel nightgowns."

"With little purple Snorkacks on them." Harry added with a grin.

At that moment there was another knock at the door. Ignoring the shocked expressions on the faces of Ginny and Hermione, Harry got up to answer the door. It was Ron and Neville, and after Ron had gorged himself on three of Harry's blueberry waffles, they left for Diagon alley.

As Harry had promised, he steered Ron away from Florish and Blotts and into a boutique for teenage witches called "The Pretty Witch." Both boys felt highly uncomfortable, but Harry had good luck immediately. Right inside the door there was a display of Cashmere sweaters. He got one in lavender for Hermione and one in pink for Ginny. He knew the girls would love them; they were soft, pretty and feminine.

Ron continued to search as Harry excused himself to do some other Christmas shopping. He got a Broomstick Servicing Kit for Ron at Quality Quidditch Supplies and an Asiatic Mimbulus Minbletonia for Neville. Neville already had the European variety, but Harry knew he wanted an Asiatic variety as well. Just as Harry was about to go in search of Ron he felt something strange. He felt himself being drawn into an alley next to Quality Quidditch Supplies. At the end of the alley was a faded sign that read "Precious Things." For some reason Harry was drawn to the shop.

As he entered the door the dust from the floor swirled up into the air. The dappled sunlight coming in through the windows reflected off the particles, giving the interior a misty and unreal appearance. Harry began to casually wander around the shop, looking into the many glass display cases. He wasn't quite sure what kind of a shop it was. There were charms and talismans that appeared Middle Eastern, masks and ebony statues from Africa, and medieval armor and weapons that were obviously European.

As Harry looked around he was unaware of a pair of eyes that watched him from a shadowy corner. Once they had been bright blue, and quite intense; but now, with age, they had softened and became a more lavender color. The old man watched appraisingly, and then smiled slightly, his ancient face crinkling as he did so. 'Yes, he's the one,' the old man thought, and stepped out of the shadows.

"I've been expecting you, young man." The old man said, in a voice that still carried strength, despite his age.

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin as he spun about, pulling out his wand as he did so. He was instantly ready for anything. Anything, that is, but what he saw. The old man before him was thin and drawn, and his hair, long past grey, was snowy white. Despite the ravages of age, his face reflected courage and determination, and his eyes were filled with compassion.

"Your reflexes are quick, young man; but unnecessary. I'm an old man and can do no one any harm."

Harry looked into the gentle eyes and felt shame. "I'm sorry, sir. You startled me."

"It's quite alright. It's best to be vigilant. There is evil abroad in the world, and you have a dangerous mission." Ignoring Harry's startled expression, the old man turned to the counter and picked something up. Then he turned back and slowly made his way across the shop to Harry.

"These are meant for you, Harry…" the old man said in a haunting voice. "And for she who loves you."

Without even looking at the boxes Harry asked, as if in a trance, "What do I owe you?" Strange, because somehow he already knew there would be no charge.

"The cost has long since been paid." The spectral figure said, smiling sadly.

Harry stared at the old man's face. He wanted to engrave every line, every wrinkle, on his mind, so he could never forget. Somehow he knew this was a most important meeting; a meeting beyond time.

"Thank you." Harry said, almost reverently, and extended his hand.

"No, Harry…" The old man said, firmly gripping the boy's hand. "Thank you."

In a daze Harry left the shop and returned to Diagon Alley. He sat on a bench outside of Quality Quidditch Supplies. He sat there for a long time, looking down at the two ebony boxes in his hands. As his wits returned to him, he slowly opened the larger of the two boxes. It contained a finely crafted silver necklace inlaid with dark blue stones. It was a moon and stars motif, and Harry thought it very beautiful.

The second, smaller box contained two rings. Each was finely crafted of gold and silver, and was inset with a small turquoise stone. It was clear that one was designed for a man and one for a woman.

Harry knew that these were terribly expensive. There was no way he could accept them; and yet somewhere in his mind he knew they already belonged to him. He walked back up the alley to the shop, and found that the door was locked. Peering in through the dirty windows, Harry saw that the shop was now completely empty, everything had vanished. Glancing down at the floor, he saw only his own footprints in the dust.

Returning to the main part of the alley, Harry entered Quality Quidditch Supplies and asked to speak to the manager. A stylishly dressed wizard came out from the back of the shop. "May I help you, Sir?"

"Yes, I would like to ask you about the shop at the back of the alley."

"Shop? What shop?" The wizard asked, clearly perplexed.

"It's called 'Precious Things.' I'm trying to find the older man that runs it."

The manager looked even more perplexed. "Precious Things? That shop has been closed for almost twenty years. Its owner was killed by You-Know-Who in the first war. It always had a bad location; the owners have never been able to rent the property since."

Harry thanked the man and left, more confused than ever. He was deep within his own thoughts as he returned to the Lovegood home, the two small boxes in his pocket. For some strange reason he felt he could trust the old man who had given him the unique objects; though in these dangerous times he really couldn't understand why. Nevertheless he fully intended to discuss the whole incident with Edward Lovegood later that evening.

As he walked into the entry hall he saw Ginny crossing ahead of him carrying a small tray of sandwiches. She squealed when she saw him, grabbed his hand, and dragged him into the library.

Luna and Hermione were sitting at the table concentrating on a large, black leather bound volume. The second he entered Hermione exclaimed excitedly that they had found something important. As Harry sat down and looked at the book Hermione began to explain what they had discovered.

"You know that legend says that the mists of Avalon can only be raised on one day of the year." She explained excitedly. "Well this is Merlin's actual spell book, and it says here that the spell to raise the mists can only be cast at dawn on the Festival of Beltain. That falls on May 1st. Beltain was one of the most important of the Celtic festivals."

"We also learned that the sword is bound to Avalon by an unbreakable charm. Only a knight of pure heart and spirit can take the sword from where it lays." All three girls looked at him expectantly, and Harry had the uncomfortable feeling that they expected him to be that knight. There was more information contained in the book, but it was in some kind of a cipher, and would take time to work out.

Without waiting for Harry to absorb these first bits of information, Hermione preceded with the next bit of shocking news. "There's one other thing. We already knew that the spell could only be cast by a Priestess of the Goddess Brigit. We found out that those women all came from the same family, and were supposed to be related to the goddess by blood. It doesn't give the name of the family, but it does say that they were known to have bright silver eyes and had a very close affinity to nature."

Harry looked over at Luna in shock and surprise as she smiled back at him shyly.

"You don't mean that…"

"Well we don't know for sure." Hermione interrupted. "But it certainly seems to fit. We're going to go through some old family documents and see if we can confirm it."

This worried Harry. If Voldemort ever found out that Luna could raise the mists, it would make her a prime target. Then he had a thought.

"Luna, besides your father, do you have any other family?"

"My Mother's brother is the only one I know of. He married an Austrian woman when I was a little girl. They live somewhere near Salzburg. We haven't seen them in several years."

"Do they have any children?" Harry asked, his concern growing.

"Yes, they have a little girl. Her name is Freda, and she must be about eleven or twelve years old. You don't think that Voldemort might…" Luna asked in horror.

"I think we need to contact Professor Dumbledore immediately." Harry answered tensely.

Harry put in an immediate floo call to Professor Dumbledore, and within five minutes he was seated in the Lovegood living room. He was most impressed as the girls told him what they had discovered; but his expression turned grim when Luna told him about the possible Lovegood connection to the Priestess of Brigit.

"You've all done very well," Professor Dumbledore said with a grim smile. "I'll have members of the Order contact your uncle immediately, and see to it that he and his family are moved to a place of safety. With your permission, I'll also make a copy of this spell book, so experts in the Department of Mysteries can also work on the cipher. We'll also have genealogists study Luna's family history to determine if there's a connection to the Goddess Brigit; somehow I have a feeling that there is.

- o -

Later that night, after dinner, Harry went to see Luna's father in his study. The two ebony boxes in his pocket. He had decided to give Luna the necklace for Christmas, but only if he was certain that it was safe. As he sat down opposite the older man, Edward Lovegood could see the very serious expression on Harry's face.

"How can I help you, Harry?"

"Something happened today at Diagon Alley that I can't explain, and I want to talk to you about it." Harry said, taking a deep breath. "I was shopping with Ron when something seemed to come over me and draw me into a strange shop, one that I had never noticed before. The wizard, I guess he was the owner, gave me these." Harry said, handing Edward Lovegood the two boxes. "He wouldn't charge me for them; he said 'The cost had already been paid.'"

Edward Lovegood opened the larger of the two boxes and gasped at what he saw. He ran his fingers across the silver necklace, as if compelled to touch it to prove that it was really there. Then with trembling hands he opened the smaller box. Harry noticed the color drain from the older man's face. For several minutes neither of them said anything, but Harry was visibly shaken by Edward Lovegood's reaction to the contents of the boxes.

Finally Luna's Father began to speak in a somewhat shaky voice. "You say these were given to you at a shop in Diagon Alley? Can you describe the shop, and…and the man that gave them to you?"

As Harry spoke he was well aware of how intently Edward Lovegood was gazing at him. "The shop was called 'Precious Things,' and it was located at the end of an alley near Quality Quidditch Supplies. The man appeared to be quite old, ancient really. He had snow white hair, lavender eyes and was quite thin."

"That was my Father, Harry." The older man said without hesitation. "Luna's grandfather."

"But didn't you tell me Luna's grandfather was dead?"

"He is dead, Harry. He died three years before Luna was born. He died in his shop facing Voldemort. My father was one of the first members of the Order; he fought against evil all of his life. Voldemort hated him."

"Your Father is a ghost?" Harry asked in shock.

"No Harry, not a ghost. Not my Father. A ghost was someone that was afraid, for whatever reason, to move on from this life into the next. My Father was never afraid of anything." Edward Lovegood said, a strong note of pride evident in his voice. "No, Harry, somehow he managed to come back from wherever he was to bring you these. He must have thought it so important that not even death could stop him. That was the kind of man my Father was. I've always regretted that he never saw his granddaughter."

Harry suddenly remembered something that the old man had said during their meeting. "He told me that 'These were meant for me, and she that loves me.'"

Edward Lovegood smiled slightly, "Then he knows he has a granddaughter, that explains it."

"Explains what?" Harry asked, rather confused.

Edward Lovegood showed Harry the two rings. "It explains these. I haven't seen these rings in six years, since Luna's Mother was killed. He must have been holding them since then. These are my family's Pledge Rings, Harry."

"What are Pledge Rings?" Harry asked curiously.

It's an old custom with some wizarding families. I'm afraid few practice it today. These rings were given and accepted as a pledge of eternal love, Harry. I gave Elizabeth this ring when she was sixteen."

"So it's like an engagement ring?"

"No, Harry, its much more than that. These rings are given to bind one soul to another. It's a bond that doesn't just last for a lifetime, it lasts for eternity. Marriage is a legal contract that unites two people for a lifetime; but these rings create a union for this lifetime, and all that comes after it. Our parents, hers and mine, considered us to be truly married from the day that we first pledged each other, even though we didn't marry until Elizabeth came of age"

"Do you really believe it lasts forever?"

"Yes, Harry, I know it does. I can feel Elizabeth with me every day of my life, as if she had never died."

"But why did your Father give them to me?"

"Isn't it obvious? From wherever he is, he must feel that you and Luna are right for each other….And frankly, so do I." Then, seeing the look on Harry's face, he added. "Don't worry, Harry, this isn't the kind of decision you have to make today. In fact, it's probably the most important decision you'll make in your life; one that lasts for all eternity. Take your time thinking about it; and when the time comes, I think you'll know it.

A bit embarrassed, Harry changed the subject. "What about the necklace?"

"It's a most remarkable piece of jewelry, and one of the rarest treasures of antiquity. It's called the 'Shield of Selena,' and was made in ancient Greece. My Father spent most of his life searching for it, and finally found it near the end of his life. According to legend, it was made by the Olympian god Hephaetus for the lovely Selene, Goddess of the Moon. He was ugly and lame, but she could see the beauty in his soul and fell in love with him. This necklace was a wedding present for her, and was endowed with magical powers to protect the wearer against all forms of evil."

As Harry went to bed that night he had much to think about. He was sure that he loved Luna, and that she loved him. But a decision like this, one that would last for all eternity, was too much for him. He was only sixteen years old and he knew so little about the real world. He decided to follow Edward Lovegood's advice, and wait until he was sure.

As he lay there thinking about it, the door to Luna's room opened silently. A small figure, clad in a long flannel nightgown, peered in at him.

"Are you awake, Harry?" Luna whispered.

"Yeah," was his hoarse reply.

"I'm lonely, can I come in." She said in a voice like a frightened little girl.

Harry smiled to himself and thought. 'She must have seen the light under the door and knew I was worried. She's always near when I need her.' And then he threw back the covers and called her over.

Luna bounded into the room and hopped into bed, snuggling up against him. He nearly leaped out of the bed when he felt her freezing cold feet against his.

"Your feet are freezing." He exclaimed in shock.

"Well, you keep a girl waiting and you have to expect to pay a price. Besides, warming my feet is your job." She said, and pressed her cold feet against his leg.

Wincing in mock pain, he exclaimed. "And I thought fighting Voldemort was rough. Oh well, I guess a hero's job is never done."

She rolled her eyes at him, but then smiled. Soon they fell off into a peaceful sleep.

The next night it was Harry that knocked on Luna's door. "I'm lonely." He said, trying to look as sad as possible.

As she threw back the covers she gave him a wide grin. "Well, I guess I'll just have to take care of you then." She said in a serious tone of voice. "Hop in, I'm getting cold." As he was falling asleep, Luna snuggled close to his chest; Harry decided that this was an arrangement that he could easily get used to. He decided that it was no longer an issue of whether he would pledge himself to Luna, merely of when.


	10. New Friends

**Disclaimer:** The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **My special thanks to _John Adams _and _aliceravenclaw_ for all their help in beta reading this story and keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for their many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been

**CHAPTER 10: NEW FRIENDS**

Luna spent the morning of Christmas Eve working in the kitchen of the Lovegood home. She was determined that when they went to the Weasley home for Christmas Eve dinner they would not go empty handed. Molly Weasley had insisted that everything had been taken care of, but it was a matter of principal for Luna. She made a double batch of her Chocolate Snorkacks, and then started on a double batch of a chocolate and coconut confection that she called "Witches Brooms."

She laid her second batch of Snorkacks on the table to cool, and then turned back to the oven to tend her Witches Brooms. When she turned round again she saw that at least a third of the Snorkacks had mysteriously disappeared. Harry was sitting at the table looking innocent; just a little too innocent Luna thought.

She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "And just where did my Snorkacks go?" She asked in a tone that Harry almost took seriously.

"They just looked so good that I kinda…you know…" Harry said with a guilty expression.

"Did your imitation of Ron Weasley?" Luna asked with a wide grin. "Well I guess I'll just have to make some more then."

As she turned back to the oven, Harry got up and walked up close behind her. He put his hands on her waist, and gently turned her around. He kissed her on the tip of her nose. "I ate them, so it's only fair that I should help you make some more."

She gave him that sweet smile that he loved so much, and standing on her toes kissed him back. Luna picked up an apron from the table and reached around Harry to tie it in the back. Never one to miss such an opportunity, he pulled her up against him. "You know, your Snorkacks aren't the only thing in this kitchen that I find delicious."

But if Harry thought he was going to spend all his time snogging with his girlfriend, he was very much mistaken. She soon had him hard at work shredding coconut for more Witches Brooms. Harry didn't mind, cooking with magic was always fun; and having Luna with him made it even better.

After making a double batch of Brooms and Snorkacks, with a few extra for midnight snacks, the two teens took Grimmy for a walk in the woods. With its light dusting of snow, everything was white, and pure, and beautiful. They barely returned in time to get ready for dinner at the Weasley's.

Late that afternoon, in a pre-arranged plan with Harry, Edward Lovegood suggested that the three of them fly their brooms over to the Weasleys for dinner. The young wizard had carefully worked all of this out in advance. Edward Lovegood had secretly brought Luna's Christmas present home after the Yule Ball, and had taken it over to the Weasleys. Harry had a special idea for giving it to her, and needed a lot of help so it would come off right.

Luna was delighted with the prospect of a flight with her two favorite men, and readily agreed. She always enjoyed flying with her father, but it had been a long time since they had the opportunity; and she loved to fly with Harry.

Luna's Father used a shrinking spell to reduce the size of the presents, and put them all in a small canvas bag. After that they mounted their brooms, put concealment charms on themselves, and took off into the late afternoon sky, which was already growing dark. There was a light snow falling, and they were happy to be in each other's company. Luna, who was wearing a very pretty peach-colored dress, was riding side-saddle. Harry was having some difficulty concentrating on his direction; he kept casting sideways glances at his girlfriend, thinking about how pretty she looked in her party dress with the wind blowing her hair our behind her.

Coming in for a landing in the Weasley's front yard, they were greeted by Fred and George, who were setting up fireworks for later that evening. Entering the living room, they found that a sizable gathering was already present. Remus Lupin had come with Tonks, and from all indications seemed to be having a wonderful time. Bill Weasley had brought a smiling Fleur Delacour. Even Professor Dumbledore was expected to attend, though he would be arriving later. While Harry put the packages under the Christmas tree, Luna went into the kitchen to help Molly Weasley get Christmas dinner on the table.

Fred and George came back inside and were soon up to their usual tricks. They put a spell on a sprig of Mistletoe so that it followed Tonks and Remius wherever they went. At first the two of them were a little embarrassed by it, but later Harry saw them smiling as they exchanged the latest of the several kisses they shared that evening.

Ron was sitting with Harry on the sofa, watching as the Mistletoe pursued Tonks and Remius across the room. "That's why Hermione and Ginny went into the kitchen to help mum; it was the only way for them to get out of range of the Mistletoe. You can count on getting your dose of it when Luna comes back." He said smirking.

"Should I thank Fred and George now, or wait until later?" Asked Harry with a grin.

Ron looked absolutely appalled. "Get a hold of yourself, mate. Next thing I know you'll be married with a half dozen kids."

Harry just shrugged his shoulders. "That doesn't sound bad to me; I like the idea of a big family."

Ron just gave him a disgusted look, and reached for another Chocolate Snorkack.

It was at that moment that Molly Weasley called them all in to dinner. Bill and Charley had magically enlarged the kitchen to accommodate the thirty people that were expected. Molly Weasley had outdone herself, roasting up an enormous turkey and a large goose for dinner. And the table groaned under the weight of the many side dishes that made up a traditional English Christmas dinner.

Luna sat between Harry and her father, and was impressed by the amount of organization such a dinner required. At that moment the sprig of Mistletoe came floating in from the living room and hovered over the heads of Luna and Harry, much to the delight of everyone at the table.

"Not now, Boys." Molly Weasley said, scowling at her playful twins. Nevertheless, all eyes were now on Harry in expectation. Very self-consciously he leaned over and kissed Luna lightly on the cheek.

The twins, disappointed by Harry's response, erupting into a series of loud boos and hisses. "Is that the best you can do, Harry? George demanded.

"It certainly is not." Luna responded dreamily.

"It is when I have an audience." Harry said with a grin.

Luna reached over and, putting a hand on either side of Harry's face, kissed him full on the lips. They were both so occupied with the kiss that they missed the familiar popping-sound of someone Apparating into the room. When they finally pulled apart they saw Professor Dumbledore standing there.

"Well, I'm glad I didn't miss all the entertainment." The headmaster said smiling.

His comment, combined with the cheering of the Weasley twins, caused Harry to color slightly. But Luna just smiled back at Professor Dumbledore. Then they all settled down to dinner.

After a fine dinner, and a rich dessert, they moved into the living room where they talked and enjoyed each others company; it had been a long time since they had all gotten together in a social setting. Luna's Chocolate Snorkacks and coconut Witches Brooms were a great favorite that night, especially with George Weasley. He even suggested that if Luna would consider an older man he would most certainly make himself available.

Harry came over at that moment and put his arm around Luna's waist, pulling her closer to him. "Trying to cut into my territory, Weasley?" Harry asked, with a mock snarl.

"No, no, Harry," George returned, feigning fear, "I'm just admiring your good taste."

"Don't worry, Harry." Luna said with a very rare giggle. "You may not be much, but I'll keep you anyway."

It was a very pleasant evening, and everyone was enjoying the friendly feeling of being with family. Ginny, however, couldn't keep her eyes off the presents, especially the large, beautifully wrapped present that Neville had brought for her.

"Can't we start opening them, mum?" Ginny asked for the hundredth time.

Resigned to the fact that Ginny was never going to give up, and that it was becoming rather wearing, her Mother finally surrendered. "Alright Ginny," Molly Weasley said with a sigh.

"Me first," Ginny squealed, and made a dive for the tree, snatching up Neville's present. Scraps of wrapping paper shot out in all directions as she madly tore into it, one large piece landing on Neville's head. She was absolutely delighted when her efforts revealed a beautiful set of ivory-colored silk robes trimmed with tiny pearls. It was absolutely the latest in style.

Harry and Ron looked at Neville with new respect; he was braver than they thought he was. Picking out clothing for a woman was a task that few men looked forward to. Judging by Ginny's reaction, he had done it quite successfully. She gave him a hug and kiss and he turned a bright shade of red.

Hermione was greatly relieved when Ron handed her a small present tied with a red and white ribbon. The box was far too small to contain the nightgown that she had seen in the "Pink Witch," and for that she was very grateful. Opening the present, she found a small gold, heart shaped locket on a fine gold chain. Inside was a smiling picture of Ron with the inscription "Always in my heart." It was just the kind of romantic gift that she had hoped for, and she loved it.

A general hush fell over the room as Luna handed Harry a large flat present wrapped in purple paper with gold stars. Everyone in the room knew what it was, for in one way or another they had all helped with its creation. Now they all wanted to see his reaction to it; but they were no more eager than Harry, as he tore at the paper. Suddenly he stopped and stared at what was revealed, and he took in a deep breath of surprise. There, underneath the paper, were all the people Harry loved smiling and waving back at him. Luna had painted a magical portrait of Harry surrounded by his family, all of his family. She had spent months collecting photographs and arranging secret sittings; it had to be perfect, and it was. Harry's mother and father were standing on either side of him, their arms around his shoulders proudly. Standing behind him was the entire Weasley family. Also in the painting were Sirius Black, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Remius Lupin, Hermione, and Neville. On the far right hand side of the painting stood Luna and her Father, smiling proudly back at him. Nothing had ever affected Harry quite as much, and tears rose in his eyes.

He kissed Luna and in a choked voice told her how much he loved it, and how much he loved her. He settled back in his chair, with Luna close beside him, and knew this was his best Christmas ever.

The gift exchange continued into the evening; and everyone was having a wonderful time. Ginny and Hermione loved their sweaters from Harry, and Neville just couldn't stop talking about his new plant. Finally there were only two presents left, and all eyes were on Luna as her father gave her one of them.

Luna carefully opened the large package to find a fleece-lined, leather flying suit in a deep rose color, complete with matching gloves and boots. She thought it the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and was absolutely delighted.

"I know that you and Harry like to go flying together. This will keep you warm on cold winter days." Her father said.

Molly Weasley seemed particularly interested in Luna's gift, and explained that she helped Luna's father pick it out. "Would you please try it on, dear?" She asked. "I would love to see you in it."

"You can change in my bedroom." Ginny volunteered, winking at the others as she stood to lead Luna upstairs.

"But before you go I see we have one last present." Edward Lovegood said with a twinkle in his eye. He reached under the tree and picked up a large, emerald green wrapped gift and handed it to Harry. Opening it, Harry's eyes widened in surprise as he found his own black leather flying suit.

"Why don't you both try them on, so we can see how you look together?" Ron said, not missing his cue. Luna looked at him a bit suspiciously, but then smiled and walked upstairs with Harry.

After they changed, the two teens returned to the living room to model their new suits. After the complements died out, Harry suggested that they might go for a quick fly just to test them out. Everyone agreed that this was an excellent idea, and the two walked over to get their brooms in the closet by the door. Luna had no idea that Harry had switched brooms on her while she was in the kitchen earlier.

Harry reached into the closet and pulled out the new, orange-colored Firebolt Plus and handed it to Luna. "Happy Christmas," he said with a wide grin.

Luna took the broom in her hands and gently ran her fingers along the diamond hard handle. "This is for me?" She whispered, hardly daring to believe it.

"I just thought you needed something a little more modern," Harry replied lovingly, smiling at her. And then he added, with an evil grin. "Besides I'm getting a little tired of always waiting for you to catch up with me."

Luna threw herself into Harry's arms and kissed him passionately, completely ignoring the fact that many eyes were upon them at that moment. When they pulled apart she looked up into his eyes mischievously. "So you're 'getting tired of waiting for me,' are you? Well, we will just see about that tonight." She took him by the hand and led him out the door. Their friends and family rushed to the windows, reaching them just in time to watch the two of them fly up into the sky, hand in hand.

- o -

While Harry and Luna were on their midnight flight, Edward Lovegood and Arthur Weasley stepped into the study for a private discussion. Molly Weasley, who was cleaning up in the kitchen, asked Hermione if she could find her husband. She wanted the kitchen reduced back in size, and had quite enough work to do already. As she approached the Weasley's study, she could hear Arthur Weasley speaking. The door wasn't closed, but Hermione didn't want to interrupt a private conversation. Hermione hesitated for just a moment, waiting for a break in the conversation before interrupting the two men. What she accidentally heard made her eyes widen in shock.

"I've never seen Harry as happy as he was tonight." Arthur said in delight.

"And Luna, too," Edward Lovegood responded. "I always feared that she would never find anyone who was right for her, but I know now that she has. You can see it in their eyes."

"How long do you think it will be?"

"As soon as they are of age, I suspect." Edward Lovegood replied.

"Well how do you feel about that?"

"I couldn't be happier. They're perfect. Together they will always be alright."

Hermione didn't want to listen any longer, and she certainly didn't want to interrupt. As she walked slowly back to the kitchen she was deep in thought. Then, smiling to herself, she thought, 'Mr. Lovegood is right, they are perfect.'

- o -

Luna woke up just after dawn on Christmas morning. She opened her eyes to see the morning sun streaming in through the leaded glass windows of Harry's bedroom. She rolled over and was surprised to see that Harry wasn't in bed with her. This worried her a little bit, because in the week they had been home, and had slept together, the one of them would always wait for the other to wake up. It had become something of a game for them; and Luna, always an early riser, had usually won. Luna got up and went back to her own bedroom and put on her robe, and then went downstairs to the kitchen.

"Well, good morning sleepy head." Harry greeted her as she entered the kitchen, and then he thought to himself, 'She even looks beautiful first thing in the morning.'

Harry was working at the stove and Luna's father was sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee. "Good morning, Princess. Will you sit with me your highness?"

Settling down next to her father, she took a sip of her pumpkin juice. Some liked coffee in the morning, but not Luna. Looking over curiously at Harry, she asked him what he was doing.

"Well I thought it only fair that I should make breakfast for you and your father, so you can continue to play the fairy princess a bit longer. Your Majesty is about to dine on my famous blueberry waffles, bacon and eggs."

"I beg your pardon." Luna said with mock indignation. "Did you say 'your' famous blueberry waffles?"

"Well…uh, my famous blueberry waffles that_ you_ taught me how to make. Is that better?" He asked, looking at her with a sly smile.

"Much!" She replied, just as Harry sat a plate of waffles on the table. Harry also sat a plate in front of her. On it she noticed a small, wrapped present.

"What's this?"

"That? Well that's a Christmas present from your Grandfather."

Luna's wide and expressive eyes grew even wider. "My Grandfather? But he's…" she said in a whisper.

"Yes, I know," Harry said gently. "But it's still from him. I met him last week in his shop in Diagon Alley. He wanted you to have this." Then Harry proceeded to tell her about his trip to 'Precious Things.'

With trembling hands she opened the gift that came to her from beyond 'The Veil.' She gasped softly when she revealed the beautiful silver necklace.

"This is for me?" she whispered.

"This is to protect you," Harry answered lovingly. "Your Grandfather, your Father, and I want you to wear this every day. We're not going to risk losing you, ever!"

Luna hugged the two most important men in her life, and then asked Harry to help her put it on. She turned her back to him and held her hair above her head. The necklace felt cool, but Harry's fingers were warm and soothing. As he fastened the clasp, he kissed her tenderly on the back of her neck. They had completely forgotten that Luna's father was seated at the table, smiling broadly.

- o -

But the happy holiday mood came to an abrupt end as soon as the teens returned to Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore called them into his office the evening of their return, an extremely grim expression on his face. The six seated themselves in front of Professor Dumbledore's desk, and waited for him to speak. He looked very old and very tired, and every day of his one hundred fifty years.

"We've had some bad news, Miss Lovegood." Dumbledore said, addressing Luna. And as he spoke, Harry reached over and held Luna's hand tightly. "After our discussion last week members of the Order were dispatched to your uncle's home in the Austrian Alps. I'm sorry Miss Lovegood, but they found your uncle and aunt dead. There was no sign of your cousin, but we believe her to be in Voldemort's hands.

Harry felt Luna visibly tremble at this news, and he moved his chair up against hers so he could hold and comfort her. She looked into his eyes sadly, but then smiled ever so slightly and squeezed his hand.

"Does that mean that Voldemort believes that Luna's cousin can lift the mist of Avalon?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, Miss Granger, that's almost certainly what it means. Experts at the Ministry of Magic have established the connection between the Priestess of Brigit and the Shaw line. So conceivably both Miss Lovegood and her cousin could perform the spell."

"What can we do now," Ron asked.

"All we can do is continue to work of the cipher and attempt to discover the location of Avalon. We have until May 1st; the mist can't be raised until then. We've suffered a defeat, but the war is not a single battle."

The six teens left the office in a somber mood, and walked back to the Gryffindor common room together. Harry suggested that Luna go up to her room and get some rest, but she wanted to stay with the others. They were tired, but rest was out of the question. The six went to a table, pulled out Merlin's Spell Book, and started to work on the cipher. They worked long into the night, long after the other students had gone to bed. If Voldemort was going to win this war, it wasn't going to be without a fight.

- o -

In January the special defense class started training in advanced dueling and combat tactics. For the purposes of this class component they were issued the first of two special Auror training wands that they were to receive. This wand shot a reduced electrical charge that felt like a mild electrical shock to the person on the receiving end. These wands would allow the six teens to fight simulated battles without the risk of actual injuries.

"I understand that you six have already, shall we say, paired off in your training sessions. But for the purposes of these next class components I would like to start rotating partners." Lupin said.

But why?" Harry asked, standing next to Luna. The two had been partners since the first day of class, and found that they worked very well together.

Lupin looked at Harry and smiled; he had been expecting that question from him. "I want you to start rotating partners so you can learn to anticipate different battle tactics from different people. Luna might have one attack strategy while Ron might have a completely different one. You need to be ready for anything.

Soon they were all paired off and testing their new wands. Harry and Ron were shooting spells back and forth at each other, and having a wonderful time. But Ron was certainly getting the worst of it, having already received several shocks. Harry's quick Quidditch reflexes were serving him well as he dodged Ron's spells and shot back at the same time.

Suddenly Ron cried out in pain and fell to his knees. "I'm hurt, Harry!"

Harry dropped his wand and ran forward to help his friend, fearful that something had gone wrong with the training wands. The minute he did so, Ron straightened up and shot him full in the chest. Harry looked at his friend in stunned shock, how could he have done that?

"Sorry, Harry," Ron mumbled, looking down at his feet. "He made me do it." Ron said, pointing at Professor Lupin. Harry looked over at Professor Lupin in confusion.

"And you did it very well, Ron. Did you all just see what happened? Experience is a better teacher than words, and this is a lesson that you all need to learn. Death Eaters don't play by the rules; they use every dirty trick in the book. You need to watch them at all times. If they give up, or claim to be hurt, you should always assume a trick and be prepared for it."

As they resumed their practice, Harry grinned at Ron. "I'll get you for that, Weasley." Ron knew that Harry was joking, but he still was a bit worried.

Harry quickly learned that real duels were very different from the formal affairs that he had learned about in Gilderoy Lockhart's Dueling Club in his second year.

- o -

As the new term began, the four houses of Hogwarts seemed to be as divided as ever. But looks can be deceiving, and under the surface major changes were taking place that none, not even Professor Dumbledore, could foresee. Changes that were, strangely enough, centered on a certain rather eccentric fifth-year Ravenclaw.

Not even a week had elapsed since the beginning of class before Luna's younger friends began to seek her out for help. Unknown to most, Luna had become something of a hero to younger Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. Older students usually ignored their younger classmates, being preoccupied with their own workload; but Luna Lovegood always found time for them. She was always friendly, smiling and ready to help. And they repaid her friendship in many subtle ways, and gained a sense of their own power in the process. There soon developed a rule, unwritten but rigidly enforced, that anyone who made disparaging remarks about Luna Lovegood would be actively shunned by the younger members of those two houses. Older housemates, who crossed that line, soon found themselves the victim of some rather vicious pranks. It didn't take long for the message to get across to people that Luna Lovegood had a great many friends.

The study group soon grew too large for the library, and it had to be moved to the Room of Requirement. It also became too large for Luna to conduct alone, especially after younger Ravenclaws started to attend; so whenever possible her friends would help her. Harry became the 'guest instructor' in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Hermione in Transfiguration, and Neville became a special favorite in Herbology. Looking back at it in later years, no one could ever understand how the six of them were able to balance such a tremendous workload, but they were. They seemed able to draw strength from each other; to renew each other. It was almost as if they were of one heart, one soul; and perhaps they were.

And then, one day, a shy Slytherin third-year approached Luna in the library, after first making sure no others of his house were present. He was a lonely child named Andrew McDonnell, who had few friends. He really didn't know why he had been put in Slytherin, except that he was a pure blood and was determined to prove, in spite of his impoverished upbringing, that he was as good as anyone. But right now he needed help, and he needed it badly.

"Um…could I talk to you for a moment?" He asked very tentatively.

Luna looked up from her work, smiled slightly, and nodded.

"A friend of mine said you were helping some of the students with their work, and I was wondering…uh, if maybe you could help me?" He said very meekly.

Luna looked at the boy appraisingly. In spite of her sometimes dreamy exterior, she was a very good judge of character, and she liked this boy from the first minute they met. They began to talk and soon found out that the two had much in common. They had both grown up in single parent families of limited means; both of them had few friends, although this was no longer really true for Luna; and both had been the victims of cruel pranks by older housemates. Andrew's father had died shortly after he was born, and he was raised by his mother who worked as a clerk in the Ministry of Magic. In spite of his bloodlines, Andrew hated Voldemort and everything that went along with him. He was very disappointed to have been assigned to a house with connections to dark wizards. His worst class was Defense Against the Dark Arts, and his problem seemed to be a lack of confidence.

They had talked for so long, and so pleasantly, that Luna had completely forgotten the time. If she didn't hurry she would be late for a walk in the forest she had promised to Harry. These moments were so precious that she would never miss one.

"I'm sorry, Andrew, but I have to go. I have to meet someone. Will you please meet me up on the fourth floor at seven tonight? I know a friend that will help you."

Andrew was confused by this, as everyone knew there was nothing up there; but he agreed anyway. If one of his Slytherin housemates had suggested this, he would be certain that a prank was going to be played on him. But, for whatever reason, he immediately trusted this strange girl with the silver eyes.

When Andrew arrived on the fourth floor he was surprised to see more than thirty other students waiting, from all different houses. They looked at him a little suspiciously, for Slytherins were a little bit suspected by everyone. He felt distinctly uncomfortable until Luna came up and welcomed him.

"Hello, Andrew McDonnell, how are you this evening?" She asked, smiling at him reassuringly. "Are you ready for lessons?"

"Um…yes I am," he answered, with more confidence than he really felt.

Then, addressing the other students assembled in the hallway, she said. "This is my good friend Andrew McDonnell. He will be joining us tonight, and I hope you will all make him feel welcome."

They entered through a secret door into a large room that Andrew didn't even know existed. The room was divided into small classrooms separated from each other by partitions. Everyone seemed to know where to go, except Andrew that is.

"You needed help in Defense Against the Dark Arts, didn't you?" She asked.

"Yes," he replied uncertainly.

"Well then you come with me, I know absolutely the best person to teach you."

She led him over to a group of students gathered around a boy with dark, unkempt hair and glasses. A boy that he recognized as Harry Potter. Harry Potter who all Slytherins were taught was just a spoiled show-off and a bitter enemy of theirs. But Luna walked right up to him and took his hand.

"Harry, this is my friend Andrew, he really needs your help in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Harry looked at the young Slytherin boy a little uncertainly for a moment and then extended his hand. "Welcome to our class, Andrew."

With a bit of apprehension the younger boy took Harry hand; but by the end of the session he thought Harry was a very good teacher. And Harry was good; he seemed to have a natural gift for teaching and he really enjoyed it. This aptitude had first shown up the previous year, when he had organized and conducted the DA classes. That gleam that appeared in a child's eyes when they finally caught onto something gave Harry a feeling on intense pride and satisfaction.

- o -

To think for a second that the older members of Ravenclaw House didn't know that something was going on would be a grave mistake. After all, they had been put into Ravenclaw because they were intelligent; they had been trained to observe and analyze. To observe everything and reach a logical conclusion from the information provided. But this problem was driving them all crazy, especially Cho Chang.

Ever since the beginning of term, when Luna Lovegood returned to school with Harry Potter as her boyfriend, they knew that something was terribly wrong. Harry Potter, the boy that half of the girls at Hogwarts would give anything to be with, not only liked Luna Lovegood, he was absolutely stupid about her. Cho, more than anyone, knew how terribly shy Harry was when it came to girls. That made it all the more shocking when she saw the two of them openly holding hands and kissing in the corridors.

Then Hermione Granger, the smartest witch in the school, risked expulsion to protect Luna from a harmless prank. And Ron Weasley, who had always sensibly shied away from the strange girl, viciously attacked Draco Malfoy over a simple Quidditch accident. And what had happened to the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff Houses; they had practically adopted "Loony." Even the teachers seemed to be in on the insanity, and seemed to be treating her like a little princess.

Ravenclaws were used to finding logical explanations for things, and there had to be a logical explanation for this. Finally they reached the only explanation possible; "Loony" Lovegood must have put a really powerful spell on the entire school. And the thing that really terrified them was that if she was powerful enough to put a spell on everyone else, she was powerful enough to put a spell on them. The thought that they might wake up some morning and actually like "Loony" Lovegood was too awful to imagine.

And then in early February an incident took place that made immediate action imperative. Cho Chang and two other seventh-year Ravenclaw girls were standing outside of the library talking as two third-year Slytherin boys walked by. The Ravenclaw girls couldn't help but catch a bit of their conversation, and after catching the first words they listened intently.

"You know, Luna is so pretty and nice. I wish I was older so I could ask her out." The first boy said.

The second boy readily agreed, and they continued down the hall.

This had to be stopped, and it had to be stopped now; before any more damage could be done. Cho went immediately to talk with Professor Flitwick. He was the one person that no one could ever put anything over on, the one teacher that Cho had always been able to depend upon. She sat in his office, a troubled look on her face, and waited for him to give her his undivided attention.

Professor Flitwick finally put down some scrolls that he was grading, and turned his attention to one of his favorite students. "Now, what can I do for you Miss Chang?" Professor Flitwick asked in a gentle voice, noticing the distressed expression on her face.

"Professor, I believe that Hogwarts is in danger, and I felt that it was my duty to bring it to your attention." She replied, a sense of urgency clearly evident in her voice.

"What kind of danger, Miss Chang?" Professor Flitwick inquired, a deadly serious look on his face.

"Luna Lovegood has put some kind of a spell on the entire school. Suddenly everyone likes her. I just don't know what to do." Cho said as she looked at Professor Flitwick in near panic.

Flitwick just stared back at the young girl like she was from another planet, and Cho began to feel quite uncomfortable. Suddenly the tiny professor burst into laughter, and the startled girl almost fell out of her chair. His high, shrill laughter was most unnerving, especially since it was the first time that she had seen him laugh so openly.

"So you think that Miss Lovegood has put a spell on us, do you?" Flitwick asked, continued with his high pitched laughter. "Well, I guess she has at that." In a more considered tone he said. "I'm surprised that you don't know what kind of a spell it is, I thought you were smarter than that."

"But it has to be stopped. It has to be removed!" Cho shouted, almost in a panic.

"No, no. It's not that kind of a spell; and it's certainly not something we want stopped." Professor Flitwick said with determination. "Do you want to know what kind of spell Miss Lovegood has on us? Well you can go up to the fourth floor tonight at seven o'clock and see a true Ravenclaw."

It was with much fear and trepidation that Cho Chang walked up the stairs to the fourth floor that evening, terribly afraid of what she was going to find. A large number of students were gathered in front of the Room of Requirement, which she remembered from the DA meetings of the previous year. They looked at her curiously as she approached, and she noticed scowls on the faces of some younger Ravenclaws. 'She already has control of their minds,' Cho thought in terror. Nevertheless, she summoned up all the courage she possessed, and followed them into the room. She hung back in a corner fully prepared to see some kind of pagan worship at the very least. What she saw, however, shocked her even more.

In one section of the room Hermione Granger was showing a group of eager students how to transform a rat into a crystal goblet, as Cho herself had learned many years before. In another area, Harry Potter was showing some frightened third-years how to deal with a nasty Bogart. She had never seen Harry behave in such a patient and gentle manner; he seemed a natural born teacher. Luna Lovegood herself was standing at a chalk board calmly discussing runic symbols. They were obviously teaching; but that couldn't be all there was to it. There had to be something more, something evil, something dark. Cho wouldn't let herself believe that she had been wrong about Luna all those years. And yet, by the end of the night she was convinced, and a very ashamed Cho Chang slipped out the door without a word.

The next morning as the sixth and seventh year Ravenclaw girls came down to breakfast, they were horrified to see Cho Chang chatting happily with little Luna Lovegood at the Ravenclaw table. A number of other Ravenclaws were gathered around them, also smiling happily. The older girls knew at that moment that they were certainly doomed.

The unity of the houses had become a reality, but in a way no one could have ever expected.

- o -

When Professor Dumbledore learned what the six teens were doing he was most impressed, and rather proud. She was so impressed, in fact, that he called them into his office to personally thank them for their efforts to assist the younger students. He was concerned, however, that it might prove too much for them, given their already heavy workload. But they soon relieved his mind, and pleased him greatly with their enthusiasm for teaching.

What they seemed to need most was a tutor for potions. Hermione had been trying to cover it, but potions wasn't really her strongest subject.

"I think I can help you with that." Professor Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. "I've had a seventh-year girl volunteer to help you with anything you might need, and her strongest subject is potions. I asked her to join us today, but she said that she might be a bit late." At that moment there was a knock at the door, and Cho Chang walked in. Harry looked at her doubtfully, but Luna's warm greeting soon broke the ice.

"I was so wrong about all of you." She began in an apologetic tone. "I really want to help you, if you'll let me."

They all turned to Luna, and she welcomed Cho to the study group; and then they all welcomed her.

"Would the seven of you allow me to announce your study session at dinner tonight? That would make all the students aware that help from their peers is available." Professor Dumbledore asked. The seven teens looked at each other, and then as a group agreed

That night at dinner Professor Dumbledore announced the names of Hogwarts' new student tutors. When he came to the name of Luna Lovegood, the older Ravenclaw students gasped in shock. Cho Chang, however, just gave her new friend a warm hug.

- o -

The beginning of the new year had brought a sense of foreboding to Harry Potter; he somehow sensed that the final battle was close at hand. And yet the fear and loneliness that had plagued him in the past was noticeably absent; for there was Luna always by his side. She gave him a strength and courage that he never realized he had, as well as the love that he always needed. Valentine's Day was coming up, and it was going to fall on a Hogsmead Weekend. Harry was determined to pull out all the stops to make it a special day for Luna. Harry, Ron and Neville had decided that they would spend the day together, and have lunch at the Three Broomsticks.

When Luna came down for breakfast that Valentine's Day there was a large bouquet of wild roses where she usually sat at the Gryffindor table. Knowing instantly that wild roses had to be from Harry, she kissed him sweetly on the cheek and sat down next to him. There was also a large stack of pink and red envelopes at her place; cards from other boys around the school who had become fond of her.

Harry looked at the stack and made a half-hearted attempt at a scowl. "I'm beginning to get a little jealous of all your admirers." He said, but with a smile.

"I guess that means you'll just have to try a little harder," she replied with a mischievous smile. "But it's nice to know that a girl has options, just in case."

"I'm your best option, and you know it." Harry said playfully, and grabbing her around the waist he began to kiss her neck, a little passionately for seven in the morning.

"I guess you are at that," Luna said rather breathlessly.

"Oh, come on now; none of that until after breakfast. Don't you two ever quit?" Came Ron's disgusted voice, but he had a smile on his face when he said it. He got a poke in the ribs from his girlfriend nevertheless.

When all six of them were settled at the table, the boys told their girlfriends about their plans for the day, and all were delighted. All of them felt the need for a day away from school and work, a day they could just enjoy being together.

After breakfast the boys took the arms of their young ladies and led them out through the front doors. There, at the foot of the stairs, was a beautiful white carriage pulled by six snow white horses. It was like the story of Cinderella. Harry led Luna to the door and helped her into the coach, the other boys following suit, and they were all soon riding into Hogsmead together. Harry had arranged it all, with a little help from Tonks and Remius Lupin. After all, what was the point of having a vault full of Galleons if he couldn't spend some of them making this day special for the girl he loved?

As they pulled up in front of the Three Broomsticks, the driver jumped down from the box and, with a bow and a flourish, assisted the girls down from the carriage. The eyes of several envious young girls were upon them as their boyfriends escorted them through the front doors and upstairs to the private dining room. Harry had told Madam Rosmerta to go all out on their luncheon, and indeed she had done just that. The room was decorated in pinks, reds and whites, and had a distinctly Valentine theme. Luna didn't usually go in for this kind of thing, but she had to admit that Harry had done it up right. They had a delicious lunch topped off by a wonderful ice cream bombe, filled with chocolate and fresh strawberry ice cream.

Leaving the Three Broomsticks, they walked through Hogsmead window shopping and just enjoyed each others company. They stopped in at Honeydukes, and each girl left with a box of her favorite chocolates. The day was concluded by a leisurely carriage ride through the forest at twilight and then back to Hogwarts; it had been a truly wonderful day.


	11. Pledging Forever

**Disclaimer:** The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **My special thanks to _John Adams _and _aliceravenclaw_ for all their help in beta reading this story and keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for their many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been.

**CHAPTER 11: PLEDGING FOREVER**

February brought a new component to the defense training class, even though dueling and battle tactics continued to be stressed. Professor Dumbledore wanted to discover if any of the six teens had the aptitude for doing wandless magic. Only about ten percent of wizards and witches had this skill, but it would be extremely valuable if any of the six teens possessed the ability. He was quite surprised when fully half demonstrated the ability. Harry Potter, Luna Lovegood, and Neville Longbottom all seemed to possess this gift, and the Headmaster stressed to Professor Lupin that the skill must be developed as quickly as possible.

This meant more work for all of them, but it was surprising how much fun wandless magic turned out to be. In the beginning, elaborate hand and arm gestures were required to make anything happen; and Ron Weasley took great pleasure in saying that they looked like they were trying to swat mosquitoes or directing traffic. But as their skills developed they found that they could cast spells with a mere flick of their fingers. Their spells were still relatively minor in nature, but they were getting stronger every day. Suddenly, Ron Weasley found himself the victim of all sorts of magic practical jokes, but he could never catch the one who was doing it; and actually they all were.

"Will you three please stop it?" He finally asked in frustration, as he wiped a dab of strawberry jam off his nose. It had mysteriously floated over and applied itself to his face.

"Who, us?" Harry asked, as the three teens looked at Ron innocently.

"Don't give me that, Harry Potter; I know it's one of you."

"Actually," Luna began dreamily, "it's all of us."

"Well I've had enough," Ron snarled.

"Well you brought it on yourself, big brother." Ginny said with a giggle. "You were the one who thought their magic looked funny."

"Alright, alright, I was wrong. Will you please give it a rest?"

"Okay, Ron, we'll let you off the hook," Neville said smiling, though he was really enjoying Ron's discomfort.

A week later all of them were excused from class for the whole day to go on what they were told was to be a special outing. They were curious, but agreed to meet Professor Lupin in front of the Great Hall after breakfast.

As the seven of them walked down the grassy slope towards the main gate, Professor Lupin explained that Professor Dumbledore had arranged for each of them to get a second wand. They were going to floo to Mr. Ollivander's shop in Diagon Alley to pick up their new wands and have their old ones checked and calibrated. He also said each of them would be fitted with a special auror's holster to conceal their second wands, that way if they were disarmed they would have a second wand to fall back on.

Mr. Ollivander was expecting them, and quietly closed the shop and escorted them to a pleasant parlor at the back. Mr. Ollivander looked exactly as Harry had remembered him from six years before, and the old man remembered them as well. He showed a special fondness for Luna, whom he had known since she was a baby. While they tried out their new wands, Mr. Ollivander examined their old ones for any sign of wear or damage. Then he demonstrated how to use the special auror's holster to conceal their second wand.

The wand calibration would take a little bit longer, so they all decided to go out to lunch while they waited. They took a private room at the Leaky Cauldron, so they could speak freely, and had a wonderful lunch and then a little window shopping in Diagon Alley before they picked up their wands and returned to Hogwarts.

- o -

Luna's birthday was on February 29th, and Harry and his friends were planning an intimate little party at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmead. The original plan called for only the six of them to attend; but Luna's new friends would have none of it. Cho had been the first to ask, determined to make up for her past mistreatment of the younger girl; and Harry didn't have the heart to refuse when he saw how sincere she was. After that it was the members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, who already considered Luna one of their own. And from then on the event took on a life of its own, with students approaching Harry at almost every turn; he had no idea how many friends Luna had made.

As the size of the event grew, so did Harry's level of anxiety. He knew that Luna was rather shy by nature, and he was worried that making a major production of her birthday might make her uncomfortable. The day before Luna's party he went to see Professor Dumbledore in the hope that the older man might know a way to keep the event from snowballing even further. But to Harry's surprise, Professor Dumbledore seemed absolutely delighted by the turn of events.

"I understand how you feel, Harry," the older man said. "But Miss Lovegood has touched a great many lives in recent months, and they deserve the chance to tell her how they feel."

Harry had never thought of it that way before, but Luna did deserve to know that so many people cared about her. But where to put them all, that was the question that Harry couldn't answer.

"I think," Professor Dumbledore said thoughtfully, "that the Room of Requirement might be available for that evening. Available, that is, if the professors and I are allowed to attend and help with the decorations," he added, with a twinkle in his eye. Harry readily agreed to the professors attending the party; and then he went down to the kitchen to talk to Dobby about the cake.

But the clever House Elf was already far ahead of him. Entering the kitchen, Harry found that the usual frenetic pace had multiplied several fold. A huge, two-meter wide cake ring had been set up on a work table in the center of the room, and more than a dozen elves were working madly around it.

"Ice cream cake, Mr. Harry Potter Sir," Dobby announced with pride. "With fresh strawberries and two kind's ice cream. House elves never make such large cake," he said, obviously delighted with the prospect. "Nothing too good for Miss Luna."

It was quite strange, to some students, that on the day before Luna's party a larger than usual number of owls delivered parcels to the Great Hall. Stranger still, no one opened their parcel, but instead hurried them up to their dorm rooms.

The task of making the surprise complete was organized like a military operation. Hermione and Ginny were to keep Luna in the library until seven o'clock that evening, at which time Harry would pick her up on the pretext of a moonlight walk in the woods. Then after a slight delay, which Harry felt he could fill in quite easily, he would lead her into the Room of Requirement for the surprise.

The room was dark when they entered it, except for a large cake in the center of the room with sixteen brightly burning candles on it. Suddenly the lights went up and cheers and applause rang out from around the room.

"Happy Birthday, Luna," Harry declared, putting his mouth next to her ear so she could hear him; kissing her lightly.

Luna was absolutely stunned as she looked around the room and saw all the happy smiling faces. And then, at the table in the center of the room, she saw her father seated with Professor Dumbledore, beaming at her. She ran up and threw her arms around him, burying her head in his chest. Harry could see that Luna was crying, and he himself was close to tears; it was just perfect.

It was a wonderful party, and everyone had a wonderful time. Harry had managed to limit the numbers of guests to forty-five; though he suspected that most of the school would have come if they had known. Luna was normally a happy person; that was one of the things that Harry always liked about her; but he had never seen her as happy as she was that night. She was accepted for who she was, she had friends, and she had Harry; what more could any girl want?

She received dozen of presents from her friends and professors, but the one she treasured most came from Harry. Luna loved to paint, and was really an accomplished artist, but her equipment was old and rather worn out. Harry had contacted an artist's supply store in Diagon Alley and had ordered her a real professional outfit. She had everything an artist could ever want: a large selection of magical paints, the finest of brushes, even a new easel that magically set itself up when you wanted to use it. The gleam in her eyes as she ran her fingers over the tubes of different colored paints showed better than words ever could that Harry had found the perfect present.

Later that night, as the two of them sat together atop the Astronomy Tower enjoying the stars, Luna told him that it was the best day of her whole life. It was long past curfew, but Harry was very reluctant to leave. The night, the moment, was perfect.

- o -

Spring had come at last to Hogwarts, and an end to the long cold winter. The first spring bulbs were just beginning to push their heads above the isolated patches of snow as the month of April started. Spring, happiest and most joyous of seasons, and a time of new life. Happy, that is, everywhere but the Gryffindor common room. There, six dedicated young people worked feverously on a diabolically complex cipher. It had to be broken within a month, for that was all the time they had left.

Everything, every spare second, was now being sacrificed to the cipher. The tutoring sessions, that they had all grown to love so much, were now turned over to other students. The woodland walks that Harry and Luna had so much enjoyed, and the breathtaking flights through the treetops, were only pleasant memories now. Even the simply pleasure of sitting in front of a warm fire on a frosty night, and holding each other, had become a rarity. Every spare second was given over to the cipher.

Although the other students didn't really know what was going on, they seemed to sense the urgency of the situation; and did whatever they could to help their friends. The younger students could see the stress on their faces, and knew whatever they were working on must be terribly important. Everyone knew how much Harry and Luna loved their tutoring sessions; and could only imagine one thing important enough to force them to give them up. That one thing was Voldemort! And the whispers began to circulate throughout the school: Harry Potter and his friends were preparing to face He-who-must-not-be-named!

The 'Golden Three' had now become the "Golden Six," and their fellow students now looked upon all of them with a mixture of awe, admiration and love. But it wasn't the detached hero worship of the past; their feelings were much more intimate now, for they were friends. So whenever they saw them in the hallway, or at meals, the other students were always ready with a cheery "hello" or "how are you doing?" And if Harry and Luna didn't have time to talk, it was alright, their friends understood. They realized that the fate of the whole wizarding world might rest on the shoulders of these six teenagers, and a heavy burden it was.

The teachers and Professor Dumbledore also understood what the six were trying to do; an almost impossible task that even skilled code breakers had found impossible. They understood, and they began to make "exceptions" for the six. A paper that was turned in late, or not at all, never seemed to receive a failing grade. Potions work that Professor Snape would have greeted with a detention in the past, now received an acceptable grade. If they overslept, and arrived late for class, there were no repercussions; and only the Slytherins complained that they were being given special treatment. The teens understood, and they did try to do as much work as they could, but always there was the cipher.

- o -

One class they could never afford to miss was their special defense class; soon their very lives would depend on it. But even the defense course had lost the pleasure that it once held. They had started on the last component of their training: the killing curses. No one wanted to learn them, but all realized the necessity of it.

Harry hoped that he would be the only one to take these lessons; the very thought that Luna would have to learn to kill made him sick. But all of his friends were determined that if Harry would have to kill, they would be prepared as well. When the time came to decide, all six made the same choice.

Each was then issued the second of their special training wands. This wand would measure the exact amount of power put into each curse, and determine if it would be sufficient to kill their opponent. For the purposes of this training, they were provided with magical simulations of their likely enemies: Lord Voldemort and Belletrix Lestrange. The simulations acted like real individuals, but they weren't living beings, and couldn't die. This fact was stressed to the six teens, just as it was to aurors in training, because the taking of a life was something that had to be approached gradually. In spite of this fact, none of the six managed to focus sufficient emotional power to make the curses work during their first attempts.

"I don't understand it, Belletrix Lestrange was right there, and I couldn't manage enough emotion to kill her?" Neville asked in disbelief.

"But that's the problem." Lupin tried to explain. "The anger and rage you are feeling is diluting the power of the curse. The angrier you are, the less you can focus the power of your magic. You're allowing thoughts of pain and suffering to weaken your concentration. You need to clear your minds of past memories and concentrate on the curse you're trying to cast."

The next time Neville tried the curse on the simulation of Belletrix Lestrange his wand registered a "clean kill." Harry was able to do the same with Voldemort. And soon they were all able to register "clean kills." But it was not something they were proud of; and not something they choose to talk about, even among themselves. They were in a war, this knowledge was necessary for survival, and it had to be mastered.

- o -

Late one afternoon, in the later part of the month, Professor Dumbledore called them up to his office. Entering, they saw that Professor McGonagall and Snape were already present. The Headmaster motioned them to be seated and began to speak in a grim tone.

"We have just learned some information, both good and bad, and I wanted to let you know immediately. Voldemort has apparently given up on his attempts to break the cipher. Professor Snape has just come from a meeting of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Voldemort declared that he's tired of waiting, and announced his plans for a massive attack on the Ministry of Magic. It's one cast of the dice, win or lose; and we will be there to meet him."

"But are you sure?" Hermione asked in disbelief. "Are you sure that he's given up on it, that it's not some kind of trick?"

Professor Snape looked tired; he had been putting in long hours and it showed. "Yes," he replied, the weariness evident in his voice. "I'm certain. He was in a terrible rage because he couldn't get his hands on the sword. He killed one of his own Death Eaters because he questioned the Dark Lord on a minor point. His rage has reached the point where he's behaving irrationally; his patience has reached the breaking point. He's making a fatal mistake."

"What can we do?" Hermione asked.

"I need you to continue to work on the cipher," Dumbledore answered, a note of pride in his voice. "If we can gain the Sword of Astragal we will control an invincible weapon, and our victory will be assured. When the time comes, the teachers and I will floo to the Ministry and join other members of the Order to stop him."

"We're going too," Harry said with determination.

"No! The time is not right for you. You need to stay here and complete your training. But I have an important role for you as well. Professor McGonagall will be in charge during my absence, and she will need your help to maintain the security of the school. Voldemort has sympathizers here, most notably in Slythern House, who might attempt some sort of demonstration in my absence. I need you to help Professor McGonagall protect the school and the younger students."

Harry could see the determination in the old man's eyes, and knew that he had valid reason for concern. "Yes, Professor, we'll do our very best," he said sincerely. Harry realized that fighting a war on two fronts, trying to defend the Ministry while at the same time trying to retake the school, would be nearly impossible.

Later that week they learned that the attack on the Ministry was planned for the last day of April. Hermione thought it a strange coincidence that the very next morning was the Festival of Beltain.

On the 29th of April, Professor Dumbledore led the teachers out through the front doors and down across the grass to the front gates. The entire student body stood outside and watched, knowing full well that many of their teachers might never return. Harry and his friends stood apart from the others. They felt an intense sense of sadness and failure; they had worked on the cipher until they were exhausted, but they had still failed to break it. Hermione, who had always prided herself on her intellectual abilities, seemed the most despondent of them all; and nothing the others said could make her feel better. She had taken it very personally, as did they all, that her failure had placed her teacher's lives at risk.

"I'm going back to the common room," she said sadly, and turning away from the others she walked up the slope.

Ron ran up behind her and took her hand. "Not without us, Monie. This is our fight too."

And the other teens followed her back to the common room to resume work on the damnable cipher. Lives now hung in the balance; the lives of their teachers, the lives of their friends.

With the teachers gone, class was cancelled for the day. But there was no celebration; instead a mood of foreboding permeated the school. Students gathered in their common rooms, close to their friends, and whispered about the latest rumor that they had heard. Harry and his friends plagued Professor McGonagall for news of the battle, but there was none for her to give them. Then, late in the afternoon, she called all of them into Professor Dumbledore's office. McGonagall had a frightened look on her face, making them all fearful; no one could ever remember the formidable Professor McGonagall ever showing fear. Luna reached out and took Harry's hand, no matter what the news they still had each other.

"The battle is going badly," she began, fighting back the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. "Professor Dumbledore, the teachers and members of the Order are bottled up in part of the Ministry. He's fighting a defensive battle, but he can't hold out for very long."

"Our parents," Ginny asked in tears. "Are they…alright?"

"Yes, Miss Weasley. At this time all of your parents are alive and fighting with Professor Dumbledore." Professor McGonagall responded.

"Let's go!" Harry said with determination, and the other five teens stood up with him.

"No! Your sacrifice would accomplish nothing. The only thing that can save them now is the Sword of Astragal. Shortly before the attack was launched, Ministry code breakers found the keyword that allowed them to break Merlin's cipher. It was so simple that no one even considered it."

"We need to do something now!" Harry insisted.

"We can't act before sunrise tomorrow morning. It's only then that the mist can be raised." Professor McGonagall replied, taking a more aggressive posture towards Harry.

"What was the keyword?" Luna asked, subtly defusing the situation.

"It was 'Pendragon,' Miss Lovegood." McGonagall responded.

"What do we need to do?" Harry asked in a more controlled tone.

"Before dawn tomorrow we need to go to Avalon. Miss Lovegood will raise the mist and you will take the sword. Only that can save them. You need to be at this office an hour before dawn, and we will leave the grounds together. I will have made a portkey that will take us to the Isle of Dreams. Once we have the sword, we will all go to the Ministry and face the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. Have dinner and get some rest, tomorrow you will need it."

- o -

They returned to the Gryffindor common room in a somber mood. It had finally come, as they knew it must. The six teens sat close together in front of the fire, but it provided no warmth. A strange chill seemed to have penetrated into their bones, and only being close to each other seemed to help.

"You know," Neville began tentatively, "no matter what happens tomorrow, I want to thank you all for being my friends." Embarrassed by his own words, but knowing that they had to be said, he continued. "I've never had many friends in my life…. I love you very much…all of you."

Ginny, who sat on one side of him hugged him tightly. And Hermione, who sat on the other, said, "We love you too, Neville," and gave him a sisterly kiss on the cheek.

The six of them talked long into the night. Not about important things, not about what would happen in the morning, but about the little things that warmed their hearts. Hermione told Luna about how she had made friends with Ron and Harry in their first year, about how they had been the first real friends that she had ever had, and about how much she loved all five of her friends. Ron lightened the mood somewhat by telling how, in second year, Hermione had accidentally changed herself into a cat. They all burst into laughter, even Hermione; though she swatted Ron lightly on the shoulder.

"When I looked into her beautiful yellow eyes…" Ron continued daringly, "I knew that this was the cat…err, girl I wanted." And he quickly kissed her before she could swat him again.

Luna told them about the night that she had first discovered that she was in love with Harry, and about their trip to the Rain Cave the next morning. As Harry hugged her tightly, she told them all about the Rain Cave, the enchanted forest, and her family connection to it. Just as she had wanted Harry to know, now she needed them all to know.

"That's incredible, Luna." Hermione burst out in amazement. "I would really love to see it. Would you take me to see it when…?" Suddenly Hermione stopped and looked down sadly. She had forgotten about the morning, about the fact that they might all die tomorrow.

Everyone knew what she was thinking, and shared the same sad thoughts. Would tomorrow be the end of everything?

Suddenly Luna's voice broke the silence. "I'll take you, Hermione, I promise. I'll take all of you." And then she reached across the space that divided them and clasped the older girl's hands lovingly.

She then took Harry's hand and looked deep into his eyes, hers so brave and yet filled with such sadness. He knew what she was thinking, that tomorrow might be the end for them. 'She's so much braver than I am,' he thought to himself. No matter what else happened, Luna would always be there for him, would always be faithful. And suddenly he realized something that he should have known from the very beginning; even if they survived what would happen in the morning, one lifetime with Luna would simply not be enough, it had to be forever.

He sat bolt upright in the chair and stared at her, everyone's eyes fixed on him. "Wait here, I'll be right back. All of you please wait here." He ran across the common room and up the stairs to his dorm room.

- o -

At the same time that this conversation was going on, a very different one was underway in the Slytherin common room. The common room was deserted, the fire had burned itself out, and the torches had burned low. Well, it wasn't entirely deserted. Andrew McDonnell had fallen asleep in a dark corner of the common room after completing a long essay on the uses of the Nightshade Flower in medical potions. He awoke to the sound of a girl's voice in the darkness. At first he was tempted to go back to sleep, but then he distinctly heard her mention the "Dark Lord," and he was wide awake. Straining to hear what was being said, he recognized the voice of Pansy Parkinson, the sixth-year Slytherin perfect, and two male voices he didn't immediately recognize.

"It's all arranged," Pansy said gloatingly. "Belletrix will lure Potter and his friends to Avalon in the morning, and there the Dark Lord will be waiting. She told them that Dumbledore is losing the battle and that his only hope is getting the sword. Potter and his friends will do anything to get it."

"But is Dumbledore losing?"

"Of course not; the Dark Lord merely sacrifices the Dementors to keep Dumbledore and his followers occupied."

"But how will Lestrange lure them away?" asked a voice, that Andrew now recognized as belonging to a sixth-year boy named Crabbe.

"Because they will trust her, of course. Little baby Potter trusts Professor McGonagall completely, and will do anything that she tells him to." After a pause, Pansy continued in frustration. "You two really are thick, aren't you? Don't you get it?"

"Ah…no," Crabbe replied in confusion.

"Listen! Draco brought Belletrix Lestrange into the school through the secret tunnel from the Shrieking Shack. I told McGonagall that one of the students had an accident by the Whomping Willow, and she rushed right down. The fool! Belletrix hit her with a stunning spell, put a body-bind on her, and levitated her down into the tunnel."

"But I saw McGonagall at dinner tonight!" Goyle said flatly.

"That was Belletrix. She's been using Polyjuice Potion all day. McGonagall's in the Shrieking Shack under guard, although I don't know why they didn't simply kill her. As soon as the Dark Lord finishes off Potter and his friends, she'll meet the same end."

"But why lure them to Avalon? Why not kill them here?" Crabbe asked, still confused.

"Because the Dark Lord may need them; the little girl he took from Austria is only twelve years old and might not have the power to raise the mist. The Dark Lord may have to force Loony Lovegood to do it; he would enjoy that." She said with a cruel laugh.

"What about Professor Dumbledore?"

"Once the Dark Lord has the Sword of Astragal he will be invincible. Not even Dumbledore will be able to stand against him. In the morning we will take control of the school and the Dark Lord will use it as his base of operations. He'll have hundreds of hostages if anyone resists."

"But we're not strong enough to take the school."

"Of course we are, who is there to resist us? All of the teachers have gone to the Ministry, Potter and his friends will be dead, and Professor McGonagall is already under our control. Besides, we'll catch them completely by surprise. Belletrix has given me the passwords to all of the houses. We'll strike at dawn, before they are even awake; and we'll start with Gryffindor House. Their houses will fall just as Potter and Lovegood are dying." Pansy said with a malicious laugh.

As they went down to the stairs to their dorm rooms, Andrew McDonnell sat in the dark, livid with rage. He knew what he had to do. He rushed across the common room to the secret panel, out into the hallway, and up the stairs towards the portrait of the Fat Lady.

- o -

Harry came down the stairs to the common room, a small ebony box held carefully in his hands. His friends watched him approach from across the room, curious about his abrupt leaving and about what he was bringing back. He sat down next to Luna, staring deep into her eyes.

"I have something I want you to accept." He said as he placed the small box in her hands.

At that moment came the sound of banging on the wall outside of the common room, followed by one ear piercing scream after another.

Andrew McDonnell had gone to the portrait of the Fat Lady and had begged her to let him in.

She looked down at the young Slytherin disdainfully. "Password?" She asked in a rather harsh tone.

"I…I don't have it. But I have to see Harry Potter. It's a matter of life and death!"

"Password?" she repeated.

"I don't have it! Please let me in. Please!" He begged.

"PASSWORD?"

At that last demand Andrew lost control. In the rage that boiled over in him he started to pound his fist on the frame of the portrait, yelling for someone to let him in. The Fat Lady, terrified by his violent behavior, began to scream for help. It was Harry Potter himself that opened the portrait door.

"Andrew! What in the world is going on here?"

"He assaulted me!' The Fat Lady screamed. "I want him expelled. I want him expelled this minute!"

"I need to talk to you, Harry." Andrew begged, still trembling. "It's important."

Harry realized that the young boy standing in front of him was absolutely terrified. "Come in Andrew," Harry said, motioning him inside. Harry led the frightened boy over to where the others were seated. Luna, seeing the boy's terrified condition, got up, went over to him and led him to a seat across from Harry. They all waited for him to compose himself enough to speak.

He finally looked up, still holding onto Luna's hand tightly, and began to speak in a trembling voice. "It's a trap….She's leading you into a trap."

"What's a trap? Who's trap?" Ron asked in confusion.

"I heard Pansy Parkinson talking in the Slytherin common room. Belletrix Lestrange is pretending to be Professor McGonagall. She's going to lead you into Vol…Vol…" Andrew just couldn't say his name.

Harry looked grim. "This is Voldemort's trap, isn't it?" The boy nodded in response.

"What about the attack on the Ministry?" Harry asked.

"Pansy said it was just a diversion to draw the teachers away. She said Lestrange had sealed the school so no messages could get out."

"And Professor McGonagall?"

"Pansy said Death Eaters are holding her at the Shrieking Shack. She said Vol…demort would kill her after he kills you."

For the first time Neville spoke up. "Well then, we just won't go to Avalon. Let's go to the shack and free Professor McGonagall!"

"I have to go to Avalon," Harry said with an air of resignation. And then, looking up into Luna's shimmering eyes, and understanding what they said, he added, "Luna and I have to go, together." And he reached across the space that divided them and took her hand.

"But why, if it's a trap? Neville asked.

"We don't have a choice, we have to go. We can't take a chance on Voldemort getting the sword. And we can't risk freeing Professor McGonagall until tomorrow morning. If Voldemort ever found out that we know the truth he would use Luna's cousin to get the sword first. Luna and I will go, but I want the rest of you to stay here and free Professor McGonagall after we leave."

"Oh, no you don't, Harry Potter," came the firm voice of Ginny Weasley. "We're in this thing together, and we're going to go together." There was a firmness and determination in her voice that he had never heard before. Looking around at the other determined faces, Harry knew that argument would be futile; and he felt a strong sense of pride. Whatever fate intended for them, they would meet it together.

"Alright…together!" he said with determination. "But we have to be prepared, and we don't have much time." With that, Harry started to issue orders like one born to command.

"Ginny, Neville, I want you two to take my Invisibility Cloak and go up to the Owlery. Try to send messages to everyone that you think can help; but send it to Dumbledore first. Lestrange may have sealed it, but we should try anyway. Give them the coordinates of Avalon and tell them we'll be there at dawn tomorrow."

"But what if the owls are intercepted?" Neville asked.

"That's a chance we'll just have to take; we need help." Harry said firmly, and the two left to carry out their mission. "Hermione, you know the passwords for Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff dorms don't you?"

"Um…yes I do."

"Good. Take Ron and go to both. Tell every member of the DA that we need them here right now. Give them our password."

"What if we run into McGonag…err, Lestrange?"

"Tell her you're making your Prefect rounds. But be careful and tell the others to be careful as well." As Ron and Hermione rushed out of the portrait hole, Harry turned to Luna. "I need you to go upstairs and wake up every 5th year and above and tell them to get down here. Right now!"

"But I'm not a Gryffindor."

"Don't worry," he told her with assurance. "They will listen to you."

As Luna hurried up the stairs, Harry turned again to the young Slytherin boy, who now looked at him with something approaching awe. "Now, Andrew," Harry began softly, "I want you to start over and tell me everything Pansy said from beginning to end."

- o -

Soon the Gryffindor common room was crowded with dozens of students from other houses, as well as older members of Gryffindor house. Younger students, hearing the noise on the stairs, came down to find out what was going on as well. Hermione tried to shoo them back to their beds, but when Harry pointed out that this would affect their lives as well, she let them stay.

Ginny and Neville returned from the Owlery with the news that there was not a single owl in the tower. Harry had in fact been expecting something of the sort; Belletrix was taking no chances.

Harry quickly briefed everyone on what the situation was and what the stakes were. "The six of us are going to Avalon with Belletrix Lestrange, and try to keep the Sword of Astragal from falling into Voldemort's hands. But we need all of you to help us. Are you willing to take the risk?"

Harry was greatly encouraged by the immediate positive response he received, and proceeded to lay out his plan. "I want to divide you into two groups. I want the most experienced of you to go with Seamus Finnegan and free Professor McGonagall from the Shrieking Shack. You'll be facing real Death Eaters, so remember what you've learned; your lives will depend on it. I want Cho Chang to take charge of the second group. They will meet Pansy Parkinson and her Slytherins in the morning."

Cho and Seamus sat down with Harry and Luna and began to discuss exactly what had to be done in the morning. Harry was very impressed with the leadership abilities of his two captains, and their readiness to undertake such a difficult task. They began by dividing up the DA members that would form the two attack groups.

"I would like Lavender Brown to go with my group," Seamus requested. Harry couldn't quite understand that, as Lavender had always been one of the weakest members of the DA, and so he asked.

"Well Lavender wants to be a Medi-Witch, and already knows a lot of medical spells and charms. If Professor McGonagall needs immediate medical attention, Lavender can give it." Seamus said.

"That's a great idea," responded a very impressed Harry Potter.

Andrew McDonnell very much wanted to help, and asked if he might go with Cho's group. No one wanted to turn him down; after all it was Andrew who brought them the warning. Suddenly, Harry had a brilliant idea.

"Andrew, are there other people like you in Slytherin; people who hate Voldemort and are willing to fight against him?" Harry asked.

The younger boy thought for a moment and then responded, "Yes, I know several."

"Can you trust them, I mean really trust them?" Harry asked.

Andrew responded that he knew he could.

"Fine, then I have an important job for you. Go back and ask them if they are willing to join us. I want you to wait until Pansy makes her move in the morning, and then you can catch her in a crossfire with Cho. She'll be outside in the hall and you'll be on the inside." Andrew thought this an excellent idea, but then Cho did him one better.

"How about if just after midnight we send part of our force to the Slytherin common room. Andrew can let them in and hide them, and then we can catch Pansy between our two forces." Cho suggested.

"Do you think you could do that, Andrew?" Harry asked

"Yes, there's an alcove off the common room that no one ever uses, we could wait in there."

Harry could tell that Andrew McDonnell was going to be a very valuable ally.

- o -

With the discussion finished, the students began to disperse to their individual houses to sleep, if they could, or more likely think about what would happen in the morning. Soon, only Harry, his closest friends, and Cho Chang remained. Cho wanted to walk with Luna back to Ravenclaw Tower; she felt she needed to. She knew that there was only a slight chance she would ever see any of them alive again.

Everyone seemed a good deal more relaxed now that they knew the attack on the Ministry was merely a diversion. But when Cho Chang glanced over at Harry, she was shocked by what she saw. Harry Potter looked quite nervous, no he actually looked frightened. But why? It wasn't Voldemort. Harry had discussed meeting him like he would discuss a casual walk in the woods. But what could so frighten the hero of the wizarding world? Cho noticed that the eyes of the others were on him as well, and they too looked shocked. Harry was looking at Luna Lovegood, as she was saying goodnight to Hermione.

"Ah…Lu?' Harry began cautiously.

"Yes, Harry." She replied, turning to smile at him.

He glanced down at the small table by the sofa; on it sat a small, almost forgotten, ebony box. "You didn't open it."

Cho wondered what could possibly be in the box that could affect Harry so, and it was clear that the others were wondering the same thing.

The minute Luna had turned to see Harry's face her smile had vanished. Now she carefully took the small box in both hands and slowly raised the lid. Her gasp shook everyone in the room, and they all craned their necks to see what was in the box.

Inside Hermione saw two finely crafted gold and silver rings. But then she saw the expressions on the faces of her friends, a mixture of shock and amazement, and she looked again. Having not been brought up with the traditions of a wizarding family, she merely thought that they were just rather pretty. But the reactions of the others told her that they were a great deal more than that.

"Are they…?" Cho whispered in amazement.

"Pledge Rings." Neville said to himself, with a reverence that Hermione had never heard in his voice before.

"What are…?" Hermione started to ask Ron, but the look on his face shocked her into silence, and she just watched the scene in front of her.

"But where?" Luna whispered.

"Your Grandfather. He was saving them for us." Harry replied with building confidence.

"But you don't know…"

"Yes I do." He interrupted. "I know everything. Your Father told me." And then after a pause, he added, "Lu, it's what I want; more than anything in the world."

She looked into his eyes and saw that it was true. She grinned at him happily, nodding her head.

Harry took her hand into his. He looked deep into her bright silver eyes, and thought about how easily he could lose himself in those beautiful eyes for an eternity; and he wouldn't regret a day of it. Snapping out of his reverie, he solemnly cast the spell that sealed the pledge: "I pledge you my life and my love in this life, and I freely bind my soul to yours for eternity." As he spoke the spell he slipped the ring onto her finger.

Luna couldn't say anything; she was lost in his emerald eyes and in his words. Suddenly she remembered that she too had a part to play in the ceremony. Taking the second ring, she looked deep into his eyes and repeated the pledge back to him. "I pledge you my life and my love in this life, and I freely bind my soul to yours for eternity." And it was done; now nothing could ever change it; not Voldemort, time or even death itself. Two were now one.

Harry took Luna in his arms and kissed her deeply and passionately. They were no longer children, and they were no longer alone. From that moment until the end of time they would be together.

Their friends looked on in silent awe, not believing what they had just seen. Finally, Ron broke the silence when he said: "You two really need to get a room." Hermione and Ginny, both shedding tears of happiness, elbowed him in the ribs.

Harry looked at Luna, an unasked question in his eyes; and Luna looked back at him and smiled knowingly. "You know, Ronald," she said dreamily, "I think you're right." She stood, took Harry by the hand, and led him toward the portrait hole.

Just as he was leaving, Harry turned back towards his friends. Smiling, he said, "We'll be back before its time to go."

As they watched Harry and Luna go, Neville looked sadly at Ginny, "I wish I had my family's Pledge Rings."

She smiled up at him brightly. "You don't need them." She took his hand and headed for the portrait hole.

"Where are you two going?" Ron asked.

"Where do you think, big brother? It's a warm night with a full moon. We're going to the Astronomy Tower before someone else gets there first. We'll be back before its time to go." And with that Ginny pulled Neville out through the door.

Ron looked completely shocked, but Hermione just smiled. "You know, Ron, with a full moon the Quidditch pitch should be beautiful right now. Do you think?" She looked at him coyly.

Ron shrugged his shoulders, took her hand, and off they went.

After they left, Cho saw that she was alone in the Gryffindor common room. She felt a sadness deep within her; she had wasted so much time. Her pride and arrogance had blinded her to what was really important. She thought of Harry and Luna, and she smiled. She envied them what they had, and what after tonight they would always have; no matter what happened in the morning. But she had no one. Cedric would have pledged her, and she would have joyfully accepted. But he was gone now, and she was alone.

At that moment she heard someone clear his throat. She turned and saw Seamus Finnigan standing there.

"I thought I could maybe walk you back to Ravenclaw Tower." He said uncertainly. "It's late."

She had never really thought of him before. But she remembered him from the DA meetings of the previous year, and knew that he was both very brave and very kind.

"Thank you, I'd like that." She answered sincerely.

He reached out, took her hand and led her through the portrait hole. She really didn't know why they were holding hands, but she was content to let hers remain in his. As they walked down the hallway together, they looked at each other shyly out of the corners of their eyes. She wondered, 'Does love ever come twice?' Well, sometimes it does. As Seamus left her at the hidden door to her common room he gave her hand a gentle squeeze, saying without words that it would be alright. She looked into his brown eyes and whispered, "Thank you."

As Seamus walked back to the Gryffindor common room he thought about how he had always admired Cho, but lacked the courage to do anything about it. Now he wondered if it was too late. He hoped not.


	12. The Isle of Dreams

**Disclaimer:** The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **My special thanks to _John Adams _and _aliceravenclaw_ for all their help in beta reading this story and keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for their many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been.

**Chapter Note: **Much of the action in this chapter takes place in different places simultaneously. I've attempted to organize the material to maintain the flow of the story, but the transitions may be rough in some places. Please bear with me.

**CHAPTER 12: THE ISLE OF DREAMS**

Harry and Luna returned to the Gryffindor common room about an hour before dawn. In spite of what lay ahead the two seemed unusually relaxed and happy, as their friends could see. All of the members of the DA were assembled to say goodbye and wish them luck; even though most of them believed that they were unlikely to ever see their friends again. Their looks of courage and determination gave strength to the others as they passed out through the portrait hole.

As they walked down the hallway Harry held Luna back for a moment and whispered in her ear, "No matter what happens today, this is just the beginning for us."

"Yes, just the beginning," Luna whispered back, smiling.

The six teens joined Belletrix Lestrange at Professor Dumbledore's office, and she led them out through the great doors and down across the grass to the front gates. She probably never noticed that Harry and Luna were holding hands as they walked down the hill, but those they were leaving behind certainly noticed. From the high windows of Hogwarts castle, two dozen very serious students watched their every move. And now it was their turn.

Seaman turned to Cho and gave her a warm smile. "You know, Harry and Luna are really lucky," he said wistfully; and she knew just what he meant. Then he wished her luck and led his little group down the hallway towards the stairs. Cho called for him to stop, and she ran down the hall to catch up with him. She looked him in the eyes, and then suddenly kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Be careful," she whispered. He gave her a surprised look, grinned, and replied, "You too."

As Seamus continued down the hall he weighed their chances in his mind; touching his cheek with his hand he suddenly felt much better about it. He was taking eight of the strongest members of the DA, sixth and seventh year students all. Their mission: surprise the death eaters in the Shrieking Shack, overpower them quickly, and rescue Professor McGonagall. They quietly left through the front doors in the still, early morning darkness and made their way down to the Whomping Willow by the light of their wands. As Harry had instructed, Seamus put an Immobilus Charm on the tree, and was amazed when its movement froze. Looking around the trunk of the tree they quickly found the tunnel entrance and descended into the darkness, seeing the way only by the light of their wands. They walked on in complete silence, hunched over in the low tunnel, brushing by the numerous roots that penetrated through the rocky ceiling.

Finally they reached a flight of ancient stone steps that led upwards to a wooden floor above their heads. Seamus extinguished his wand and signaled the others to do the same; then they waited silently until their eyes adjusted to the darkness. Carefully moving up the steps, Seamus listened for any sound from the room above. Hearing nothing, he put his shoulder against the trapdoor and slowly pushed, praying that the ancient hinges wouldn't squeak. He peered into the dingy room through the crack of the trapdoor; and by the early morning light that came in through the partly boarded up windows he could see some broken furniture, a torn carpet, and little else. He lifted the trapdoor carefully and stepped up into the room, the others quietly following. Harry had drawn them a diagram of the shack, so they knew where they were. He nodded to the others, all of them with their wands at the ready, and he quietly opened the door at the far end of the room.

They entered the hall in single file and moved towards the front part of the house, where they could see a soft light glowing. There, by the flickering light of the fireplace, they saw Professor McGonagall lying on the sofa. She was bound by some kind of a charm and was very pale; but at least she appeared to be conscious. There were three Death Eaters in the room; two of them were asleep on a second sofa and the third was awake in an overstuffed chair by the fireplace.

At that moment someone stepped on a loose floorboard and it emitted a loud squeak. The Death Eater by the fireplace jumped to his feet, yelled to his sleeping comrades, and pulled a wand out of his robes. At that same moment Seamus jumped into the room and started shooting spells, the others coming in behind him. For a few seconds there was a wild melee of spells and curses shooting in all directions. When the dust cleared, three death eaters lay sprawled out on the floor moaning in pain; having been hit by a variety of curses and hexes. Two of the students were down, apparently hit by stunning spells, and Seamus himself had been grazed in the shoulder; but they had won.

Seamus rushed forward and freed Professor McGonagall from the spell that held her, and Lavender Brown administered basic first aid. Seamus then shot a reductor curse against an outside wall of the shack, blowing out a large hole. Dean Thomas and two others rushed through the hole and ran down to Hogsmead for help, bursting into the Three Broomsticks just as Madam Rosmerta was settling down to a morning cup of coffee.

Dean rushed past her without saying a word, grabbed a handful of floo powder out of a container by the fireplace, and threw it into the flames. "Professor Albus Dumbledore, Ministry of Magic," he shouted. In a few seconds Professor Dumbledore, Remus Lupin and Arthur Weasley were standing in the dining room of the Three Broomsticks listening in shock as Dean Thomas spoke to him in short, terse sentences. Madam Rosmerta had been too shocked to say a word the whole time, and as she listened to the boy's story her shock only increased.

"Wait here." Dumbledore ordered tensely, as he took the coordinates of Avalon from the boy, and then he immediately vanished back into the flames. Within seconds two Medi-Witches and a team of Aurors appeared in the dining room of the Three Broomsticks.

- o -

Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts, Cho Chang was leading her own group toward the Slytherin dungeon. She already had the password from Andrew, who was waiting inside with a few Slytherins he could trust and the DA members that he had admitted earlier that morning. Cho had decided against attacking the Slytherins directly in their common room; there was too much chance that innocent students might be injured. Instead she decided to wait for them outside.

Just before dawn, Pansy Parkinson and a dozen "junior death eaters" emerged from the hidden door. As soon as they had all stepped out into the hallway, Cho called upon them to drop their wands and surrender. Spells suddenly shot off in all directions. Pansy shot an Avada Kedavra at Cho, but her quick Quidditch reflexes allowed the Ravenclaw seeker to roll out of the way and just as quickly fire a stunning spell back at Pansy. Cho's spell was better aimed, hitting Pansy full in the chest and dropping the girl to the stone floor.

Without a leader, the Slytherins retreated back into their common room; but there was no safety for them there. Andrew and the DA forces inside started shooting at Pansy's people from behind. Caught in a murderous crossfire, they were forced to put up their wands and surrender. The only one seriously hurt was Pansy herself, who had been knocked unconscious.

Cho left three of her group to guard the Slytherins and led the rest up the stairs to help Seamus. Just as she was passing out the front doors, a group of carriages pulled up with Seamus, Professor McGonagall and several Aurors. It had been a nice, neat operation. Now they had to wait to hear about Harry and his friends.

- o -

It was still quite dark as Harry and his friends passed out through the main gates of Hogwarts. Once outside, Lestrange stopped and pulled a knotted rope out of her robes. The rope had seven ends, and they each took hold of one. No one said a word as they waited for the portkey to activate, there was nothing left to say.

Harry felt the familiar tug behind his navel and he was suddenly spinning through the air. He still held tightly to Luna's hand, and he wasn't going to let go, no matter what. His feet came to rest on a hard, uneven surface; and he was immediately aware of the sound of crashing surf. Opening his eyes he discovered that they were standing on a small, flat rock in the middle of the sea. Waves were crashing violently into other rocks surrounding them, and the strong wind was whipping the sea into foamy milk. The sky was leaden grey color; a storm was threatening to break soon. But the thing that Harry immediately realized, and his heart sank with the realization, was that the sun, though not visible, had clearly risen above the horizon. But how could that be? They had left Hogwarts seconds before in the pitch dark. How could it be grey dawn here?

Belletrix Lestrange seemed to read his mind, and now chose to provide the answer. "Didn't I mention it?" She began with a smirk. "Avalon is several hundred kilometers east of Hogwarts. The sun rises a bit earlier here. But we still have plenty of time for Miss Lovegood to raise the mist."

Harry's whole plan had been to reach Avalon just before dawn. He had intended for Luna to raise the mist and for them to be on the island in possession of the sword before Voldemort could strike. If he could have gotten the sword before Voldemort, he would have stood an excellent chance of defeating him. But now, with it clearly past dawn, he didn't know where the Dark Lord might be. If Luna's cousin had been able to raise the mist herself, then Voldemort might very well be waiting for them on the island, and already be in possession of the sword. In that case they wouldn't have any chance at all. But it wasn't like they had any choice, and they all knew it.

Lestrange pointed to the boiling sea just east of where they stood. "That is Avalon! Miss Lovegood, will you raise the mist?"

Luna took a last look at Harry, he nodded to her gravely, and then she stepped forward to the edge of the rock. She raised her arms to the heavens and began to speak the elemental chant that Hermione had found in the Hogwarts library. As she spoke the fury of the storm broke around them, with wind, lightening, and deafening claps of thunder. But Harry could hear Luna's voice ringing out clear and strong above the sound of the wind and thunder:

By the earth that is her body

And the water that is her blood

By the air that is her breath

And the fire that is her spirit

I ask the goddess to raise the mist

And reveal the sacred isle

Everyone else was looking toward Avalon, but Harry was watching Luna. Standing against the raw power of the storm, he saw again her strength and courage. The lightening was flashing behind her, and the wind was whipping her hair about wildly, but she didn't flinch for a second. He had been so preoccupied in watching her, that it was a moment before he realized that a change had taken place; the wind had died down and the lightening had ceased. Looking up, Harry saw that the gray storm clouds were scudding off in all directions, to be replaced by clear blue skies. The violent seas had become tranquil, and were gently lapped at the rock on which they were standing.

The swirling gray mist, which had obscured the horizon to the east, began slowly to lift and revealed a small, cone-shaped island with a flat top and steep sides. A rocky causeway then rose above the waves, and connected the strange isle to the rock upon which they stood.

As they started to walk across the causeway, Harry looked at the others. Without words he warned them that from here on they needed to be on their guard at all times. They all gave him a slight nod to indicate that they understood.

As they approached the small island Harry had a better opportunity to observe it in detail. It was a tall, cone-shaped island heavily strewn with large rocks and boulders, but showing no sign of any vegetation whatever. A steep trail ascended from the rocky shore, in a number of switch backs, to the top of the cone. At the highest point of the island was some kind of a structure, which Harry assumed must be King Arthur's tomb. He couldn't distinguish much about the building itself, for it seemed to be made a material that reflected the early morning sunlight. But as Harry got closer, he could see that the structure had a front portico supported by four columns and had a pitched roof; it greatly resembling pictures of ancient Greek temples that he had seen. But the most striking thing about the structure was that it appeared to be built entirely of rock crystal.

As they ascended the steep trail, Harry and his friends were alert for anything. As they had arrived after sunrise, Voldemort and his Death Eaters might be hiding anywhere along the way. But Harry didn't think so; there had to be more to it than that.

When they reached the top they saw the entrance to the tomb: a heavy bronze door with elaborate raised runic symbols. Luna studied the door intently for a few seconds and then declared that this was indeed Arthur's final resting place; something that Harry had already assumed. At this point Belletrix suggested that Harry and Luna should probably go on alone, as space in the tomb was likely quite restricted. Harry knew that this was a deliberate attempt by Lestrange to separate them, but it played into his plans as well. He didn't want to chance them all being trapped in the narrow confines of the tomb; preferring the others to have the freedom of movement that remaining on the surface would allow. Harry nodded to Ron and Neville, and they understood that they were to remain outside.

Lestrange transfigured two torches and gave them to the teens, and hand in hand they descended into the depths of the tomb.

"You know they are probably waiting for us?" Harry whispered, and Luna responded with a slight nod.

They descended deeper and deeper until at last they reached a large chamber with a high-vaulted ceiling; in the center of the chamber was a raised stone platform upon which a marble sarcophagus lay. Before entering the crypt itself they carefully looked around the circular stone chamber. Several large stone steles were set up at various intervals around the tomb; but there was no sign of Voldemort or his Death Eaters. But that didn't matter very much, because both teens were aware that their enemies could be using some type of concealment charm to render themselves invisible.

They advanced cautiously into the crypt; the air was heavy and stale. As they got closer, the flickering light from their torches revealed the stone image of a sixth-century knight lying atop the marble sarcophagus. The knight was dressed for battle, complete with plumed helmet and spurs; all finely carved out of stone. Both Harry and Luna knew that this must be an image of the legendary King Arthur. On the chest of the knight lay a heavy battle sword, with a gold hilt that still gleamed in the flickering torch light.

Harry took a step forward and then heard a cold, hard voice say, "Beautiful, isn't it Harry? Not just the sword itself, but the power that it represents. It's mine now Harry, just as you and your little girlfriend are mine."

The two teens spun about, their wands aimed, but there was nothing there. Suddenly their wands were ripped out of their hands by spells cast by unseen Death Eaters.

"Harry, Harry, you don't want to end our pleasant talk so soon, do you? It will be over soon enough as it is…." Suddenly Voldemort became visible, a grinning Draco Malfoy stood on his right side and Wormtail stood on his left. Four other black-robed Death Eaters became visible around the chamber. Behind Voldemort, lying against the wall was a young girl with long blond hair in braids.

"Your only choice in the matter," Voldemort continued gloatingly, "is how it will end. It can be quick and painless, or it can end with more pain and suffering than you and your little friend can ever imagine. The choice is yours, Harry; give me the sword and I'll make your end a quick one. What's more, if you give me the sword now, your little friend shall go free; for I have no need of her. But either way I shall win. Dumbledore is an old man; you are his strength and the only one that can stop me, and I have you now."

Harry felt Luna squeeze his hand; and looking down at her, saw strength and courage in her eyes. He had hoped that they would have time together in this lifetime; that they could have children of their own and see them grown. That wasn't going to happen now; but it really didn't matter, they still would have all eternity together.

Harry turned defiantly towards the Dark Lord and, holding Luna's hand tightly, spat out words of contempt, "No Tom, in the end Dumbledore will win and you will be destroyed. It doesn't matter what happens to us, you'll never win."

Enraged at being called by a name he hated, Voldemort ordered two of his Death Eaters to make the two teens die in agony. The two dark clad figures drew and aimed their wands, more than ready to carry out their master's order. Harry hugged Luna tightly in his arms; feeling the warmth of her body against his, and he closed his eyes. He heard two harsh voices shout "Avada Kedavra," then he heard screams of pain, and then silence. Harry opened his eyes and saw two Death Eaters lying on the rocky floor, obviously dead.

"What magic is this?" Voldemort demanded. Then pointing at another of his followers he screamed. "Kill them I said!"

It was only at that moment that Harry and Luna realized that they were surrounded by some kind of blue aura. They didn't know what it was, but it was certainly there.

The Death Eater, somewhat reluctantly, drew his wand and shouted, "Avada Kedavra." A beam of intense green light shot out of the end of his wand, struck the aura that surrounded the two teens, and bounced back against the sender. The Death Eater screamed in pain, and dropped to the ground dead.

They all just stared at the body of the dead Death Eater for a moment, as if not able to comprehend what had just happened. Harry certainly couldn't understand it, but he was certainly going to take advantage of it while he could. With Luna holding onto him tightly, he marched determinedly up to the sarcophagus, picked up the great sword, and turned it in the direction of the Dark Lord.

"No! Stop him!" Screamed Voldemort, and he shoved one of his Death Eaters forward. Once again the curse was cast, albeit reluctantly and once again a Death Eater lay dead on the floor.

Harry swung the sword around to point at Voldemort, but before he could attempt to use it the Dark Lord reached inside his robes and vanished. Draco and Wormtail looked at each other in shock, and then quickly disappeared themselves. Looking around the chamber, Harry saw that he and Luna were now alone, except for Luna's cousin. The young girl was staring at the two teens in wild-eyed shock, and Luna immediately went to her and tried to comfort the frightened child as best she could.

"Luna, we have to go." Harry urged. "The others!" Harry and Luna helped the young girl to her feet and they made their way as quickly as possible up the passageway and back towards the surface. As they got closer to the entrance they heard the sounds of a battle underway, and curses being thrown.

Ron and Hermione were fighting from behind the columns on the left side of the entrance, and Ginny and Neville were shooting spells from behind some boulders on the right. Seeing Harry out of the corner of his eye, Ron turned and grinned at him. "Glad you could join us, mate. We have some very unfriendly Death Eaters up here that can use your attention."

"Nice of you to save them for me," Harry responded with a smirk, just as a spell hit the doorway just to the left of his head. Harry and Luna crouched down in the entrance, and using their spare wands, started shooting spells at some nearby Death Eaters. Luna's young cousin was sheltered further back in the passageway. Then Harry suddenly thought about the sword; he picked it up from where it lay on the ground beside him and pointed it at a group of dark clad figures about fifteen meters away. They were shooting spells from behind a pile of boulders. Harry aimed the sword, concentrated, and suddenly a beam of intense red light shot out of the sword and hit the boulders, causing a tremendous explosion.

Everyone was shocked by the massive explosion, even Harry. The battle completely ceased for several seconds as everyone stared at the scene of shattered boulders and blackened earth. The four Death Eaters had completely disappeared. Then a curse hit the face of the temple close to Harry. Ron pointed to a pile of rocks off to his left. "Over there, Harry." He exclaimed.

Harry swung the sword around, another beam of red light, another powerful explosion, and three more black robed figures lay still on the rocky ground. The remaining Death Eaters, realizing that their cause was lost, beat a hasty retreat down the slope. But they didn't get very far, for charging across the causeway was Professor Dumbledore, Remus Lupin, Arthur Weasley and a dozen members of the Order. Seeing that their position was hopeless, the surviving Death Eaters threw down their wands and surrendered.

- o -

After Harry and Luna had entered the tomb, shortly after their arrival on the island, Belletrix Lestrange had tried to subtly move away from the other students. They had noticed her movement immediately, and Ron pulled out his wand and aimed it at her. "Not going anywhere, are you Professor?" he asked her. "We'd like you to stay here with us." The others had also drawn their wands.

Suddenly someone shouted a disarming spell and the wands flew out of their hands. Lestrange quickly pulled her own wand and aimed it directly at Neville's heart. "You never learn, do you boy?" She said with a cruel, mocking laugh. "Your parents never learned either."

Neville, though unarmed, was just about to launch himself at the evil woman when she was suddenly thrown backwards a good five meters, crashing to the ground in a daze. Hermione had managed to quietly take her spare wand from its holster, and hit Lestrange full in the chest with a stunning spell.

Curses then started coming in from all directions, and the four teens ran for whatever cover they could find. Ron and Hermione took cover behind two of the large crystal columns, and started shooting spells at a group of Death Eaters on the path. Ginny and Neville dived behind some boulders on the other side, and also started shooting spells.

Ron quickly realized that they were dueling with none other than Lucius Malfoy, father of their old enemy Draco. Malfoy was using some kind of a pulverizing spell that was slowing chipping away at the columns behind which they stood. At that moment, Hermione got in a good shot and one of the Death Eaters dropped to the ground unconscious. Ron quickly picked off a second, who was trying to work his way around their flank. Then both teens started to shoot at Lucius Malfoy. Malfoy got in a lucky shot, and hit Hermione in the shoulder with a Cruciatus Curse, and she dropped to the ground in terrible pain. Ron gave a scream of anger, stepped out in the open where he could take a clean shot, and hit Lucius Malfoy full in the chest with the Avada Kedavra. Malfoy went stiff as a board and dropped to the ground. Ron then ran to Hermione's side in panic. She was still in pain, but was alright otherwise.

Meanwhile, Ginny and Neville were keeping two separate groups of black-clad figures pinned down. Suddenly, an Avada Kedavra curse came in from the side, narrowly missing Neville. He spun around and saw Belletrix Lestrange smiling at him evilly. "First you boy, and then your little friend," she shouted. With that she shot another Avada Kedavra, and it took all of his reflexes to dodge it. With no time to aim, he shot back by instinct alone. The spell hit her squarely, and she let out a surprised scream as she fell backwards down the hill. Neville watched as her body rolled down the steep slope, gathering a cloud of dust as it went. Then, with a certain sense of satisfaction, Neville returned to the fight. It was a few seconds later that Harry and Luna joined them, and the tide of battle rapidly changed.

- o -

Under the direction of Professor Dumbledore the surviving Death Eaters were rounded up, checked for weapons, and secured with restraining spells. Several Order members then escorted them across the causeway on their way to trial and prison.

Professor Dumbledore and several others began the assent up the steep trail that led to King Arthur's crystal mausoleum. Watching from high above, Harry was really surprised at the agility of the old wizard, as he led the others up the steep trail at a rather brisk pace. With him were Edward Lovegood, Arthur Weasley, and another wizard that none of them recognized. At one point along the trail the four of them stopped, and it was clear to Harry that they were inspecting the remains of Belletrix Lestrange. Then the four of them resumed their climb with renewed vigor.

The four wizards finally made it over the crest of the trail and onto the flat top of the island. Both Luna and Ginny ran forward to embrace their fathers, and Harry stepped up to greet Professor Dumbledore. The headmaster nodded approvingly at the sight of the great sword in Harry's hands.

"Well, I see the six of you have come through not too much the worse for wear." He said, looking carefully at his six students. "What about Voldemort?"

Harry looked disappointed. "He got away, Sir."

"Don't worry, Harry; it's a great victory, anyway. You have the sword, and Voldemort has suffered a crushing defeat. You and your friends have every reason to be proud."

While they were talking the fourth wizard, who turned out to me a midi-wizard from St. Mungo's Hospital, was doing a quick examination of Hermione. He reported to Dumbledore that she had received a slight injury from a Cruciatus Curse, but that it was nothing too serious. He had given her a mild potion to lessen the pain, and he felt no other immediate attention was required. Ron had been at her side from the moment the injury occurred, and refused to leave even to greet his father.

"If you will please escort Miss Granger down to the shore, we will follow as soon as we inspect the tomb," Professor Dumbledore said, addressing the medi-wizard.

"No!" Cried Hermione in near panic. "Please, Professor Dumbledore. It's King Arthur! Couldn't I please go along?"

Dumbledore smiled and looked at the medi-wizard, who also smiled and nodded his head. "I guess it is something that you all deserve to see." He responded.

Lighting their wands, they descended the narrow passageway that led to Arthur's crypt. Reaching the burial chamber, Harry and Luna proceeded to explain to Professor Dumbledore exactly what had happened there. Neither of them had any idea why the Death Eaters' killing curses had failed to work properly, but they both remembered the strange blue aura that had surrounded them.

"I think I can supply the answer to that." Edward Lovegood said with a smile. Then addressing Luna he asked. "Are you wearing the necklace that Harry gave you at Christmas?"

"I never take it off." Luna responded dreamily, reaching over to take Harry's hand.

"Professor Dunbledore, have you ever heard of the Shield of Selena?" Edward Lovegood asked.

Dumbledore thought for a moment, and then answered. "Yes I have; but I always thought that it was just a myth."

"So did everyone else, except my Father. It took him thirty years to find it, but he finally succeeded." Then, addressing Harry, he continued. "You remember Harry, I told you the necklace protects the wearer against all forms of evil; it does that by projecting a blue aura around the wearer. I assume that you and Luna were holding each other when the spells were cast, and therefore the aura protected you both." Then, musing for a moment, he continued. "I always wondered why my Father never did anything with the charm during his lifetime, and now I believe I know. I think he always intended it for you, Luna. Somehow I think that he knew that you and Harry would need it today, and was somehow able to return from the other side to bring it to you."

It gave Harry a strange, yet rather reassuring feeling to know that Luna's grandfather was watching over them. Looking down into Luna's clear silver eyes, he felt rather proud to be joining such a family. And he was certain that wherever his parents were, they were very proud as well.

- o -

After their return to Hogwarts, Madam Pomfrey insisted on doing a complete examination on all of them, and not even Dumbledore dared oppose the formidable witch. Professor Dumbledore asked that they all join him in his office when she released them. During the intervening time he interviewed Cho Chang and Seamus Finnegan about their part in the "battle." By that afternoon the headmaster thoroughly understood the remarkable events of that day.

When Harry and his friends finally met with Professor Dumbledore they weren't really sure what to expect. On the island he had seemed quite pleased with what they had accomplished; but now, upon reflection, would he think that they had behaved recklessly? They had taken a great risk walking into Voldemort's trap; but they felt that there was no alternative. Though what would Professor Dumbledore think; had there been a safer way they could have gone?

The minute they entered the Headmaster's office all their fears melted away. Professor Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk smiling broadly. Professor McGonagall, who still looked rather frail after being released from the Hospital Wing, was seated in a comfortable chair at the side of his desk. He motioned the six teens to chairs before his desk, but Luna immediately moved her chair over next to her favorite teacher. It was their first opportunity to speak since all that had happened, and Luna had been very concerned about how the older woman had handled the ordeal. They soon fell into a whispered conversation, and it became very apparent that little Luna Lovegood was going to play the role of mother until Minerva McGonagall was fully recovered.

Professor Dumbledore smiled as he looked at the older woman and the young girl. 'How different the two of them are,' he thought, 'and yet how exactly alike. Minerva will be just fine in Luna's care.' Then he turned to address the others. He immediately reassured them that he felt they had all handled the situation very well, and added that he was very impressed with Harry's leadership abilities. Dumbledore's only criticism was of himself; as he expressed his regret that Voldemort had succeeded in luring the teachers away from the school with such relative ease. He explained that the attack on the Ministry was a diversion to pull the staff away from Hogwarts. Voldemort sacrificed the Dementors and a few of his Death Eaters in the Ministry attack; all in an effort to gain the Sword of Astragal and kill Harry with a single stroke. But he had failed miserably at both.

"Voldemort has suffered a significant defeat and has lost his strongest supporters. It will take him a long time to recover his strength; but I'm afraid that he will in time. It's not in his nature to give up; he'll fight until he wins, or is destroyed. But for now, and for the immediate future, I think we can all relax a bit." Dumbledore said.

Harry took the Sword of Astragal, which had never left his side since their return from Avalon, and presented it to Professor Dumbledore. "I'd like you to take this, Professor. It will be safer with you."

"No, Harry, I can't do that. The sword has come to you for a reason, and it's important that you keep it. Someday you may need it."

"Then will you hold it for me, Sir? Keep it here at Hogwarts until I need it."

"That, Harry, I will be honored to do." And the Headmaster accepted the sword from Harry's hands.

As the six students got up to leave, Professor Dumbledore noticed the matching rings on Harry's and Luna's fingers. "May I look?" The two teens smiled, and showed him their rings.

The old man smiled, and Harry could once again see the long absent twinkle in his eye. "Pledge Rings." he said with satisfaction. "I'm glad to see that you two are maintaining that particular tradition; it's right for you, for both of you."

As soon as the meeting with Professor Dumbledore concluded, Harry and Luna excused themselves and returned to the hospital wing to be with Luna's young cousin, Freda. The child had come through the stress of the proceeding months amazingly well, but Madam Pomfrey was concerned with delayed shock about her parents' death. The child had not seen it happen, and Voldemort had not told her about it, but somehow she instinctively knew that they were gone. The Dark Lord seemed to have gone to extraordinary lengths to keep things as normal as possible for the child, perhaps realizing that if she was too afraid she might be unable to raise the mist. But the girl seemed to have resigned herself to the fact that her life would never be the same again. Harry and Luna, who have suffered such a loss themselves, were doing their best to be supportive of the child; and indeed she seemed most at ease in their presence.

Edward Lovegood was setting at the young girl's bedside when they returned, and he announced that as soon as Madam Pomfrey released her, he would take Freda home and get her settled in her own room. Luna told her all about Grimmy, and knew that the gentle wolf would take good care of the girl until they returned home in June. Luna eagerly looked forward to having a sister, although she wished it had happened through less tragic circumstances. Perhaps because he himself was an orphan, Harry felt himself strangely drawn to the child, and already regarded her as his little sister.

- o -

That evening the six teens came down for dinner a bit early, at the special request of Professor Dumbledore. When they entered the Great Hall they saw that the teachers were already assembled at the High Table, and there were a number of other familiar faces present as well. In fact, a whole separate table had been set up to accommodate all the specially invited guests. They included the Minister of Magic and his wife, Annabelle Longbottom, Albaster Moody, Tonks, and Hermione Granger's parents, who were on their first visit to Hogwarts and seemed quite overawed by the grandeur of the Great Hall. Edward Lovegood was also there with his young niece, who waved happily at Luna and Harry. Professor Dumbledore waved the six students up, and pointed to the great stone fireplace where they could all see the Sword of Astragal mounted in a place of honor.

"But is it safe there?" Neville asked of the seemingly unprotected weapon.

"You should have no fears about that, Mr. Longbottom. There are more protective spells on that sword than on the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts combined. Only Harry or I can remove it from the wall." Professor Dumbledore said. And then the Headmaster made rather a strange request. "For just this night alone I would like to ask all of you to sit at your own house tables. I do have a reason for making this request." He assured them.

This struck them all as a bit curious, as Luna had eaten at the Gryffindor table for many months now; but they agreed to his request. As they started to walk towards their tables, Luna pulled on Harry's arm and nodded back to the High Table. Looking back, Harry saw Neville introducing Ginny to his formidable Grandmother. The older woman seemed to like the spirited young girl immediately, and they were soon talking like old friends. Then she handed Neville a small black box, which he took carefully and slipped in his pocket. Harry knew that the first thing Neville had done upon his return to Hogwarts was to send his Grandmother an owl requesting his family's Pledge Rings. He was glad that he and Luna weren't the only ones keeping the old tradition alive.

As Luna sat down at the Ravenclaw table she was immediately joined by Cho Chang and several other Ravenclaw girls. While they were naturally interested about what happened on Avalon, the story that had raced through Hogwarts like wildfire was that Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood had pledged each other before going out to face the Dark Lord together. All the girls in school thought it so very romantic and they all wanted very much to see the ring.

As the other students entered the Great Hall they whispered and pointed at the great sword on the fireplace and at Harry Potter as well. But the old feelings of isolation didn't return to Harry; he had learned from Luna that it was alright to be different, as long as one was true to himself. But there was another difference as well. They were not just whispering about Harry; they were talking about all six of them, and about Cho, Seamus and the other members of the DA. Harry was later to learn that more than half of the school had asked about membership in the DA within the first twenty-four hours after their return; they all wanted to join the fight. Hogwarts suddenly discovered that it had many heroes. Suddenly the whispering stopped, and Harry noticed that Professor Dumbledore had stood and raised his arms.

"Welcome to this very special celebration feast. Tonight we have much to celebrate, and we have several special guests that have come to celebrate with us. I wish to especially welcome our Minister of Magic, Arthur Weasley, and his wife Molly. Earlier this year the Sorting hat once again reminded us that only if we all came together could we hope to defeat the dark forces aligned against us. Well, yesterday that house unity was fully achieved as our students joined together and handed Lord Voldemort a crushing defeat.

I wish to recognize some of the students responsible for that defeat, who in the last few hours have shown such extraordinary courage and bravery. Mr. Harry James Potter organized and led the resistance to the Dark Lord's attack. Mr. Potter, together with Miss Luna Lovegood, Mr. Ronald Weasley, Miss Hermione Granger, Mr. Neville Longbottom, and Miss Ginevra Weasley went to the island of Avalon, confronted and defeated the Dark Lord, and brought the Sword of Astragal back to Hogwarts. Here at Hogwarts, Miss Cho Chang and Mr. Seamus Finnegan led the forces that rescued Professor McGonagall and defeated an attempt by Voldemort's supporters to take control of the school. Mr. Andrew McDonnell, Miss Lavender Brown, and all of the members of the DA provided invaluable assistance in this matter. They are all heroes, and we are all very proud of them." Applause and cheering rose in the Great Hall that lasted for several minutes. Slytherin House, now purged of its dark elements, cheered as loud as any.

"And now there is another matter to be brought up. As wise as our Sorting Hat is, on very rare occasions it does make a mistake and places a student in the wrong house. This usually occurs when a student possesses all the qualities required for two different houses and makes a conscious choice of which house he, or she, would prefer to be assigned. When we discover these mistakes, we do our best to rectify them and transfer the student to their proper house. This decision is not made lightly, and should not be taken as a negative reflection on any house. It's an effort to place a student in that house where they can be happiest and most successful.

Yesterday, Miss Luna Lovegood exhibited qualities of courage and loyalty that few students at this school have ever shown; and this was not the first time that she has shown these qualities. After discussions with the teaching staff, the Sorting Hat, and Miss Lovegood's father, I have reached the conclusion that Miss Lovegood should have properly been sorted into Gryffindor House. Miss Lovegood possesses the intelligence for Ravenclaw House, but also the courage for Gryffindor; as her mother was a Ravenclaw the Sorting Hat placed her in that house. We now realize that decision was incorrect, and it only remains to rectify it. Therefore, effective immediately, Miss Luna Lovegood is transferred to Gryffindor House. Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said, addressing Harry. "Would you please escort Miss Lovegood to join her new housemates?"

A cheer went up from the Gryffindor table that was deafening, and the other tables in the Great Hall soon joined in. Harry jumped out of his seat and walked over to Ravenclaw table, extending a hand to Luna. She took it happily, and they walked back together. There was obvious regret at Ravenclaw table, but they were applauding as loud as any. Luna Lovegood deserved to be in Gryffindor House.

"Finally, I have saved the most important matter for last." Professor Dumbledore said, a twinkle in his eye. "Last night two of our students chose to join their lives together. Those of you from wizarding families understand the significance of the Pledge Ceremony. It's a commitment requiring extraordinary amounts of love, understanding and courage; such that it's rarely practiced today. But for these two people it was the right decision. It's a tradition in the wizarding world that dates back to a time before remembering…"

As Dumbledore spoke, Harry got a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew the old man was sincere in his good wishes, but he certainly hoped that he and Luna weren't going to be embarrassed in front of the entire school. But the Headmaster seemed to understand Harry's fears, and simply concluded his remarks by wishing the two lucky students a long and happy life together. While he didn't mention their names, most of the school already knew who they were.

Later that evening, in Professor Dumbledore's office, in the presence of their friends and their families, Neville Longbottom and Ginevra Weasley continued that ancient tradition, and bound their souls together.

- o -

But if there was reason for celebration at Hogwarts, that was certainly not the case in a decaying manor house in the Midlands. Built on a hill above a small English village, the manor had been abandoned for many years and was in advanced decay. Overlooking the village like a brooding nemesis, the townspeople gave it a wide birth. Stories were told of the house, and the things that had happened there, that were sufficient to send chills down the backs of even the hardiest of men. Earlier that day, many people reported seeing smoke rising from one of the chimneys; but none was brave enough to investigate.

In a darkened upstairs sitting room of the house, Voldemort sat brooding before a dying fire. Draco Malfoy and Wormtail stood nearby, in a fearful silence. All day long he had raged about the terrible things he would do to Harry Potter and friends; but now he had fallen into a dark, brooding silence that was even worse.

His servants, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, stood in the shadows and listened to him mutter, "I must find a way to kill him. He must have a weakness that I can use. The sword, the sword is the key to everything. I must have it." And then the silence would return, and the two men stood trembling in the darkness.

Suddenly Voldemort stood up. "Gather our things, we are leaving this place immediately," he ordered. "I will make a portkey."

"Yes, Master," Wormtail responded. "May I ask where we are going," he asked in an attitude of utter subservience.

"To visit an old enemy," Voldemort responded, a sinister smoothness returning to his voice.

"An enemy, master?"

"Yes, and a rival. But sometimes an ally, when there is mutual benefit. I had hoped I would not have to use his…err, services; for he charges most dear. But now I am left with no choice. Let us leave now, before members of Dumbledore's beloved Order arrive.

_**Author's Note: **My original plan was to end the Sword of Astragal here, and then write a six chapter sequel that would take Harry and Luna through year seven and beyond. But the two stories are so closely connected that I decided to continue it as a single long story. You, the readers, can decide if that was the right decision or not. Chapter 13 will follow soon, I hope_.


	13. Unseen Enemies

**Disclaimer:** The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **My special thanks to _John Adams _for her friendship and help in beta reading this story, and for keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for her many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been.

**CHAPTER 13: UNSEEN ENEMIES**

Draco opened his eyes to find himself on the narrow ledge of a vertical cliff. Looking down he saw a sheer drop of several hundred meters to a heavily wooded river valley. He pinned himself back against the rock wall and closed his eyes tightly.

"Afraid boy?" Voldemort smirked. "You'll find better things up there to be afraid of." And Voldemort pointed to a rocky crag a hundred meters above them.

Draco opened his eyes and looked up, but all he could see were the crumbling walls of a once great castle. "He lives in those ruins?" Draco asked in surprise.

"Draco, you're a fool! Didn't you learn anything from your Father? Come and I'll show you the ruins that he lives in." Voldemort led off along a narrow path that ran precariously along the cliff face; with Draco and Wormtail following close behind. For the first time Draco allowed himself to look around. Snow covered mountain peaks towered above them on every side, lower down the mountainsides were covered with virgin pine forests of dark green, and in the valley far below a rushing, rock-strewn river disappeared into the distance.

The air was rather thin as they climbed the steep path, and Draco soon found himself exhausted. But he knew if he ever faltered his master would leave him to die; or would kill him for showing weakness. So he forced himself onwards, in spite of the burning pain he felt in his lungs.

They finally reached a large basaltic rock that stood beside the path and looked curiously out of place. Here Voldemort paused, and waved his hand across the face on the rock. Draco was breathing so heavily that he hardly realized what his master was doing. After the third wave a metallic voice rang out from the stone demanding the identity of the intruders.

"It is I, Lord Voldemort who calls upon you Laxsor. Admit us at once!" Voldemort demanded.

"Lord Voldemort? Lord Voldemort?" The voice answered in a tone of ridicule. "I know of no Lord Voldemort. I know of Tom Riddle, who was bested by a sixteen year old boy."

"Dare you speak to Lord Voldemort in such a manner?" Voldemort replied in a rage.

For more than a minute Voldemort waited for a response, but the stone was silent. Draco saw the rage building in his master's face, and he backed away in fear. The boy looked across the deep chasm that now separated them from the castle ruins, and wondered what manner of wizard lived there who would dare speak to the Dark Lord in such a fashion.

Finally Voldemort could take the silence no longer. "Laxsor!" He called out.

"Yes, Tom." A soft voice responded. "Do you wish to enter?"

Voldemort gnashed his teeth and replied in barely controlled fury. "Admit me and my servants. There is benefit for you in this meeting as well."

"In that case," the voice replied smoothly, "come forward."

As Voldemort turned to face the ruins, Draco noticed that the tumbled down walls were beginning to blur, and then the whole scene in front of them disappeared in a swirling mass of colors. Suddenly a tall, spired castle rose up out of the confused colors. A stone bridge materialized before them, spanning the chasm that separated them from the castle. As the last of the swirling color disappeared, Draco beheld a castle every bit as impressive as Hogwarts.

Draco was just starting to step forward when he was grabbed roughly by the collar of his robes. "Listen, Boy." Voldemort hissed. "You will speak to no one inside this castle; do you understand me, no one! Believe nothing that you see or hear in this place. All here is an illusion."

As they walked across the stone bridge Draco felt a sudden chill, as if someone had just walked on his grave; this was a long way from the Quidditch Pitch at Hogwarts, and at that moment he wished he was back there.

On the other side of the bridge were two enormous oak doors, heavily encrusted with large iron studs. As the three approached the doors swung magically inwards, admitting them to a large inner courtyard. The courtyard itself was strewn with iron cannon, mortars, and other obsolete weapons from a bygone age. Voldemort led them quickly across the courtyard to another door, flanked by two stone dragons.

The door was opened by an ancient servant, who escorted the group into the main hall of the castle. Draco could clearly see that the man was of great age, with white hair and the careworn face of one who has seen much unhappiness. And yet, strangely, he greeted the Dark Lord with a smile and a touch of pride unusual for one of his caste.

"Welcome My Lord Voldemort, it has been many years since you last visited my Master. I will show you to your rooms as soon as he has properly welcomed you." The servant said with a strange smile.

"Yes, Mallick, I have returned….But I have not forgotten." The Dark Lord replied. What was that strange note in his Master's voice, Draco wondered; could it have been a grudging respect?

The three visitors were escorted into a large formal reception room. A fire was burning brightly in a large marble fireplace giving the room a warm and comfortable feeling. There they were greeted by a man who looked about seventy, with a long salt-and-pepper beard and cold blue eyes. The man was dressed in rich emerald green robes with silver trim, and by his aristocratic manner showed himself to be one born to wealth and privilege. And yet there was something about his cruel smile that gave the impression that he was one who could watch the pain and suffering of others, and enjoy the experience. That realization sent a chill of terror down Draco's spine.

"My old friend, we meet again." Said the man, with a heavy German accent. "You and your servants are most welcome in my home."

"The years have been kind to you, Laxsor. You have hardly aged at all."

"That is because I was born old, my friend; and there is nowhere to go from there but the grave. But what brings you to these lonely parts, besides love for me that is." He responded, a note of sarcasm in his voice.

"I need your help, Laxsor."

"Yes, I believe you do. This young wizard is strong, and the fates are on his side."

"I must kill him!" Voldemort hissed.

"No easy task, my friend. He is formidable in his own right, and with the backing of Albus Dumbledore, almost invincible. Still, it might be arranged. But why should I involve myself, what benefit is there to me?"

"Do you still seek after the secrets of life and death?"

"You know that I do, and always will."

"Would it be worth your assistance if I could put a "Veil of Death" in your hands?"

For the first time since their arrival the strange wizard seemed to show a spark of real interest. "It would indeed be worth a great deal, if you were in a position to deliver one."

"There is a 'Veil of Death' in the Ministry of Magic which I can deliver to you. In exchange for your help."

"An interesting proposal, my friend, and one that I must think about. Let us discuss it further this evening, after you've rested from your journey. Mallick will take you to your rooms and see to your comforts."

As Mallick led Voldemort and his servants from the room, Laxsor watched him with his cold eyes. "This may indeed turn into a profitable meeting," he mused.

Later Laxsor called Mallick into his presence. "Give them everything that they need. See to it that they are made comfortable. We will see how this plays out, my friend." Laxsor said in a calculating tone.

"You would help Voldemort, my lord?"

"I don't know, Mallick. One must always carefully weigh the potential gains against the possible losses. A 'Veil of Death' is a great prize for me. But were I to assist Tom Riddle, and were he to achieve his ends, what would stop him from turning on me? We have no love for each other, he and I. Also, it would be dangerous to ally myself too closely to this 'Dark Lord,' as he calls himself. He underestimates this young wizard; I do not. Voldemort is like Grindelwald; his lust for power blinds him to the strengths of his opponents. As Grindelwald underestimated Albus Dumbledore, so Tom Riddle underestimates Harry Potter. That is a mistake I do not intend to make. If I do choose to help him I intend to be very careful with this young wizard."

Putting a hand on the old man's shoulder, Laxsor continued. "What I need now is information, and for that I need you, my friend. And I think I know the source from which we can get it. You noticed the young boy with Tom, he's Lucius Malfoy's son."

"Ah, yes. I remember Lucius." Mallick said thoughtfully. "A mediocre wizard who tried to use his wealth in place of talent."

"Potter and his friends killed him, along with Belletrix Lestrange and several others."

"Belletrix is dead?" Mallick responded with something approaching glee.

"Yes, I thought that would please you. I never had much use for that particular witch myself. It does seem we are a bit in Mr. Potter's debt. But to the point, I think young Malfoy can give us the information we need. It's been some time since I've seen Eva, and I think perhaps young Mr. Malfoy would enjoy meeting her."

An evil smile spread across Mallick's face, which suddenly began to change. His grey hair grew longer and turned to a golden blond. His cold grey eyes turned a bright summer blue, and softened. His wrinkled, parchment-colored skin smoothed, and developed the blush of youth. Within seconds a beautiful young girl stood where the aged man had once been.

"Ah, yes. Just the thing to make a young boy's heart go all aflutter." Laxsor said with a smirk.

"Yes, master." The metamorph said with a honey-sweet voice. "It seems like old times."

Laxsor smiled. "Yes, my friend. I too have missed the game of life and death. This should be most pleasurable for both of us, with perhaps a great reward at the end."

Later that night, while Voldemort was meeting with Laxsor in his study, there was a knock on the door of their rooms. When Draco answered the knock he was pleasantly surprised to find an attractive young lass of about sixteen. She had silky blond hair, bright blue eyes and a ready smile. With his heart pounding in his chest, Draco asked if he could help her.

"My master sent me to make sure you were comfortable," she said in a shy, sweet voice. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"No, we're very comfortable thank you….err, what's your name?" Draco asked uncertainly.

"My name's Eva," she responded shyly.

"I'm Draco. Do you work here in the castle?"

"Yes, I help…I help in the kitchens. Where do you come from?"

"We come from Britain. I serve Lord Voldemort. He's come to speak to your master. Would you show me around the castle?"

"Yes, if you like." She said with a blush.

Wormtail was already fast asleep, and Voldemort was likely to be some time, so Draco slipped out of the room and the two young people strolled down the hall together.

In the days that followed, Draco fell more and more under Eva's spell. Each night Laxsor would insist that Voldemort discuss details of their arrangements; thus giving Eva time to spirit Draco away into the moonlight. Draco never even realized how methodically Eva was extracting important intelligence from him; valuable information about Voldemort, his weakened condition, and the strengths of his opponents. By the end of the week, Laxsor knew exactly how weak his old enemy was; and that knowledge gave him no end of pleasure.

- o -

But Draco wasn't the only one who was having a pleasurable time. At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Dumbledore announced that classes would be suspended for a week of celebration. Special Quidditch games were planned, and all students were allowed to visit Hogsmead. This was a special treat for the younger children who had never visited the all magic village before. As an added treat, the headmaster announced that end of term examinations would be cancelled this year.

The rest of the term passed pleasantly and rather uneventfully; and after the stressful events of past weeks, few people had any regrets. The Daily Prophet was still reporting sightings of Voldemort in various parts of the country, but no one was paying much attention. Over the previous two years the Daily Prophet had lost much of its credibility, as well as many of its subscribers. The reliable source for information had more and more become "The Quibbler;" a fact that delighted both Luna and Harry. That journal had accurately reported that Voldemort, and his few remaining supporters, had fled to the Continent and were attempting to regroup.

A few incidents of note did occur during the last weeks of the term; but nothing to threaten what Harry already considered his best year ever. Two days after their return from Avalon, Professor McGonagall came over to where Harry and Luna were seated before the fire in the Gryffindor common room. Most of the students were spending the day in Hogsmead, so the school was unusually peaceful and quiet. Ron and Hermione had asked them to go along, but Harry and Luna had chosen to stay behind and just enjoy the quiet time together.

"May I join you two?" She said with a smile.

"Certainly Professor," Harry responded.

"You two chose not to go to Hogsmead with the others?"

"No, we thought we'd just stay here and enjoy the fire and the quiet. We're going flying a little later, and maybe take a walk before dinner."

"The peace is welcome after all that has happened," the older woman agreed, but she also understood their need to be alone. She glanced down at the gold rings on their fingers and smiled to herself. No matter what the future held, she felt that these two had been singularly blessed.

"I was wondering if I might talk to you about the DA?"

"Certainly, Professor," Harry responded. "But it really hasn't really been active in over a year. With Umbridge gone there really didn't seem to be a need for it."

"Well, that's what I would like to talk about. I think the need now is greater than ever before. Fear of Voldemort seems to be fading, and people are ready to fight back. Everyone knows what Miss Chang and the others did two days ago, and since then I've had dozens of students ask about membership. I've never seen such enthusiasm. Would you consider restarting the DA and enrolling new members?"

Harry looked at Luna and saw her nod her head enthusiastically. "Of course, Professor, if you think it would help."

"I really do, Harry. With your permission I'll ask Professor Dumbledore to make the announcement tonight. There's just one other thing, Harry." Professor McGonagall said as she got up to leave. "Professor Dumbledore would like to invite you and your friends to join him in the Room of Requirement tonight at seven. Do you think you can make it?" She finished with a sly smile.

"Yes Professor," Harry answered, a little perplexed.

That evening at dinner, Professor Dumbledore announced that the DA was now an officially sanctioned training club, and that anyone interested in joining should speak to Harry Potter or Luna Lovegood. Before they even had a chance to leave the room they were deluged with eager applicants, the first among them was Andrew McDonnell. Harry asked them to spread the word that there would be a meeting on Wednesday night in the Room of Requirement, and that all those interested should attend. He had a suspicion that most of the school would be attending, so he was glad that he had already asked Ron, Hermione and the others to help him with the training.

Later, in the Gryffindor common room, the six teens sat together to discuss how the new DA should be organized. With the large number of applicants that they were expecting, organization was going to be essential. Harry wondered how they were ever going to train so many students with such varying skill levels. Hermione, as always, provided the logical solution.

"I think that the best thing to do is divide them up into groups by their year; that way all of the students in a particular group would have approximately the same skill level." She suggested. "We could put first, second and third years into one group for basic defense training, forth and fifth years into an intermediate group, and sixth and seventh years could received advanced training."

Harry thought that this was a wonderful idea, and it would also greatly reduce the number of people any one of them would have to train.

"Neville and I could train the basic group." Ginny volunteered. Harry thought this a very good idea, as both teens had an easy way about them that had already made them popular tutors with the younger children.

"Ron and I can teach the intermediate group." Hermione suggested. "And that would leave you and Luna to train the advanced group. But even then I think we might need more help."

"Why don't we ask Dean, Seamus and the other members of the DA? I know they would be glad to help, and that would give us plenty of skilled trainers." Neville suggested.

With the major issues resolved, Harry looked up at the great bronze wall clock and saw that it was almost seven, and they should be leaving for the Room of Requirement. Once again he wondered about the nature of the meeting, but he would know that soon enough.

When the six arrived outside the Room of Requirement they saw Professor McGonagall waiting for them, a rather wide smile on her face. "There are some friends of yours inside that want to thank you for your efforts." She said mysteriously.

As they entered the room the teens were surprised by the number of people present, forty at least. Most of them were people that Harry already knew and considered as friends. The entire Weasley clan, except for Percy, was present, as were Tonks, Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Edward Lovegood and many others. Suddenly the realization came to all of them that they were looking at the assembled membership of the Order of the Phoenix.

Professor Dumbledore was seated alone at a raised table at the front of the room, three empty seats on either side of him. As he waved them to come up, all the others in the room stood and began to applaud; Fred and George Weasley cheering wildly. All six were thoroughly embarrassed, but a bit proud as well. As they took their seats, the Headmaster remained standing, and began his address to the assembled membership.

"We've invited these six young people here tonight for a very special reason. In the twenty years that the Order of the Phoenix has existed, it has always been a rule that only witches and wizards who have reached legal age may be enrolled as members. But tonight, by a unanimous vote of the membership, we set that rule aside and invite the six of them to join us. You six have already faced dangers far greater than most people will ever encounter, and it is only right and proper that we should all face those dangers together."

Harry and the others were completely overwhelmed, but extremely proud as well. Harry spoke for the group when he said that they would be honored to join the Order of the Phoenix.

Professor Dumbledore then presented each of the six with a small, gold medallion with the emblem of a rising Phoenix on it. Later the six were to learn, that in addition to serving as a means of identification, the medallion also functioned as a means of communication and as an emergency portkey.

Later that evening, after the official meeting was concluded, the six teens had an opportunity to talk to their friends and family. Molly Weasley and Arabella Longbottom were in tears and could hardly speak. Edward Lovegood told Harry and Luna that this was the proudest night of his life.

It was at that moment that Arthur Weasley chose to make his own announcement. Because of their service to the wizarding world, and by a unanimous vote of the council, the six of them were now officially exempted from the laws restricting the use of magic by underage wizards. This ruling would allow then to use their wands whenever they needed them.

As they walked back to the Gryffindor common room, and thought of all that had happened that evening, they all felt very much adults. It was a very nice feeling.

- o -

The final Quidditch game of the season, between the teams of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Houses, was being played to decide the House Cup. Slytherin House, Gryffindor's traditional rival, had literally fallen apart after the expulsion of their Seeker, Draco Malfoy. In the last game that Slytherin had played, against Hufflepuff, they had been soundly defeated. The perpetually beleaguered Hufflepuff team regarded their victory as something akin to winning the House Cup, and they celebrated for weeks.

In past years this final game would have usually involved a considerable amount of animosity and house rivalry, but this year it was different. The four houses of Hogwarts had come together to face and defeat a common threat, and the animosities of the past had been swept aside. All everyone wanted to see was a good Quidditch game.

The Gryffindor team had a special surprise planned for Luna Lovegood. All through the term she had selflessly devoted herself to practicing and training the Gryffindor team, and now that team was going to make sure that she played in the last game of the season. They had gone to see Madam Hooch and asked her about the legality of substituting players during a game. Madam Hooch explained that while it was uncommon at the school level, the practice was completely legal and she agreed that Luna Lovegood might be added to the Gryffindor team roster and that the Chasers could rotate positions throughout the game.

That night in the common room the team surprised Luna with a cake that read: "Good Luck to Our 4th Chaser." They presented her with her Quidditch robes, which Ginny Weasley had smuggled out of their dorm room, and told her that she was going to be playing in the morning. Luna was completely surprised, as she didn't think she would get a chance to play until the fall term, when Gryffindor would have two Chaser positions open.

The day of the match dawned bright and clear, with a very slight breeze; a perfect day for Quidditch. In a spirit of goodwill the Ravenclaw team visited Gryffindor in their locker room before the match to wish them the best of luck. Cho was especially delighted to see Luna in her Gryffindor Quidditch robes, and to learn that she would be playing that day. She gave the younger girl a warm hug and wished her the very best of luck.

Later during the match, as Harry was cruising high above the pitch, he looked down to see the Gryffindor Chasers moving the Quaffle rapidly down the pitch toward the Ravenclaw goal. They were in a V-formation, with two Chasers flying above and one below, rotating the Quaffle between them as they moved swiftly through the Ravenclaw opposition. Harry knew that it was a strategy that Luna had developed, and he was amazed at how effectively it worked. Just as Luna scored the goal, Cho flew up beside him.

"She really is fantastic." Cho exclaimed in admiration, and then more somberly she added. "We really should have let her try out."

"Yes, you should have." Harry answered, but then hastily added. "But what's past is past."

Cho nodded sadly and flew off in search of the Snitch. Fortunately Harry saw the Snitch and caught it a short time later; no one wanted to run up the score on the game. Afterwards there were congratulations for both sides; for it had been a wonderful, if slightly one-sided game. But it was clear that everyone regarded Luna as the star. Her dazzling maneuvers that day were to remain a prime topic of conversation for the rest of the term.

- o -

For the first time that he could remember, Harry was actually looking forward to the end of term. With Harry and Luna pledged, it made no sense for Harry to return to Privet Drive. Instead he was going home with Luna to "The Meadows;" and it really had become a home to him, one he always wanted to return to. He loved the friendly old house, the wide flowered meadow and the dark green woods every bit as much as Luna did.

But then, a week before the end of term, they were both called into Professor Dumbledore's office. They were surprised to find Edward Lovegood there, chatting pleasantly with the old Headmaster. He smiled as they entered; and Luna rushed over to give her father a warm hug and Harry shook his hand fondly. As they took their seats, Harry noticed broad smiles on the faces of both men.

"I know you two had planned on returning home to "The Meadows" for the summer, but an opportunity has presented itself that I think you might find just as enjoyable." Professor Dumbledore began. "And I'll let Edward explain the details to you."

"We've had a remarkable piece of luck." Luna's father began. "I've received a number of letters from a Quibbler subscriber living on the island of Hoy in the Orkneys group; she has reported several sightings of what I believe to be the last surviving colony of Artic Tweisels. The Artic Tweisel was thought to have been driven to extinction over a hundred years ago, but I now believe that may not be the case. What would the two of you think about a summer expedition to the Orkneys, and see if we can find them?"

Harry and Luna didn't know what to say. Ever since Harry had first heard Edward Lovegood describe the search for the Crumple Horned Snorkack he had longed for such an adventure. Luna had never said anything, but she had always harbored the slightest of regrets that she had missed most of the previous summer's expedition.

After they both responded with enthusiasm, Edward Lovegood explained that he would do all the organization for the expedition, and that he and Freda would pick the two teens up at the end of term and they would portkey to their base camp in the Orkneys.

Harry was delighted that Luna's young cousin, who Harry already regarded as like a little sister, was going to come along. She had experienced so many heartbreaks over the past few months that Harry really marveled at the child's apparent resilience. She deserved to be part of a loving family, and Harry resolved to give her special attention during their trip.

Later that day, as they were returning to their common room, Harry asked Luna a question that had been on his mind.

"Ah, Luna….What exactly is an Artic Tweisel?"

"Oh Harry, it's a fascinating creature. It's also called an Icelandic Lynx, which is rather strange because it's not really a Lynx nor was it ever found in Iceland. It's a burrowing marsupial feline that's slightly larger than a house cat, and is really quite intelligent. It has a thick, snowy white coat with black spots. You know that most cats are solitary creatures, but the Artic Tweisel will only flourish where there are other Tweisels. It needs the company of its own kind. I do so hope we find them."

Harry put his arm around her and smiled. "We will," he said with confidence.

- o -

A week after Voldemort came to Laxsor's castle he sent Draco to bed early one night so he could talk to Wormtail. "My words are not for children," he said with a sneer. "Go to your bed and stay there."

After the boy had left, Voldemort cast a silencing spell around the room to ensure that their words would not be overheard. He then carefully checked to make sure that there were no invisible witnesses to their conversation. Only when he was absolutely certain that they were alone did he begin to speak to Wormtail.

"Soon Laxsor will show me how to kill Potter. And then I can move forward with my plans."

"To conquer Britain?"

"More than that; but I must have the Sword of Astragal. The sword is the key to everything. To kill Harry Potter will give me Britain, but the Sword of Astragal will give me the world."

"It has that kind of power?"

"More power than you can ever imagine. No one but I understands the true power of the Sword. With it I will be able to conquer the entire world. And then I will return to this place and repay Laxsor for all of his "hospitality."

Neither of the two wizards noticed the small fly perched on the leg of the table. A fly that was paying a good deal of attention to their conversation. When the conversation was over the fly left by the window and flew out into the cold, dark night. It carried important information for its master. Yes, Mallick had a number of very valuable talents, and Laxsor always valued them.

When Mallick reported on what he had heard, Laxsor smiled grimly. "So it's the world he seeks. He's so very much like Grindelwald. Well if he would repay me for my hospitality, then I should see that he receives the full measure of it. I'll show our dear Tom some real "hospitality" before he leaves this castle." Laxsor said with a sneer.

"Are you still going to help him, Master?"

"Yes, I'm going to help him. I'm going to help him into his grave. But before he reaches it he's going to deliver the 'Veil of Death' to me. And I'm going to leave the Dark Lord some pleasant memories to take with him." He said with an evil smile.

- o -

Voldemort would not quickly forget the days he spent in Laxsor's castle, as they were among the most nightmarish of his life. In the beginning it was merely a strange feeling of discomfort, and a desire to leave. But with each passing day his discomfort grew more intense, until the need to escape became almost uncontrollable. He was convinced that his every move was being watched, and his every word listened to. But more than this, Voldemort was convinced that even his dreams were being invaded. He was certain that at night his mind was being systematically sifted for information. Even though highly skilled at Occlumency, he was certain that his mind was being violated. Laxsor was a true master at Legilimency, or the ability to read the mind of another; and Voldemort could erect no barrier that Laxsor could not tear down. And as part of his "hospitality," Laxsor would leave behind terrible nightmares to torment the "Dark Lord." Nightmares about his youth, of being an unwanted orphan, dreams of the abuse he had suffered. It reached the point that the Dark Lord shunned sleep almost entirely, fearing what his dreams would bring.

Finally, after three weeks, Voldemort could stand the torment no longer. He went to Laxsor on the pretext that he needed to find a castle of his own, where he might recruit and train a new force of "death eaters." Laxsor was more than accommodating. Having learned all he could from the "Dark Lord," he wished to be rid of him. And he went so far as to graciously offer Voldemort a chalet that he had in the mountains to the west. Laxsor said that when he had finished developing his plan to destroy Harry Potter he would contact Lord Voldemort. What he failed to mention was that the construction of the chalet had included a number of special Dream Stones; so that Voldemort's nightmares would continue and would worsen, and would eventually drive him to the point of madness.


	14. Summer of Surprises

**Disclaimer:** The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **My special thanks to _John Adams _for her friendship and help in beta reading this story, and for keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for her many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been.

**CHAPTER 14: SUMMER OF SURPRISES**

The Orkneys are a small group of islands off the northern coast of Scotland. For some, the windswept, treeless islands seem bleak and forbidding. But for a young witch and wizard in love, the lonely islands held a unique beauty all their own. Spring comes late to the Orkneys, but when it does the hills are ablaze with the pink and white flowers of wild Heather, giving it the appearance of a fairyland. It was during this special time of year, in early June, that Harry and Luna arrived on the islands.

The correspondent from the Orkneys, who had informed Edward Lovegood of her sightings of the Artic Tweisel, was a lone widow, Mrs. Abigail Minnet. She had lived in a small cottage at the base of Ward Hill, on the Island of Hoy, for almost forty years. She had been absolutely delighted when she learned that Edward Lovegood would be paying her a visit, for in that lonely corner of Scotland visitors are few. She offered to enlarge her cottage to allow Mr. Lovegood and his party to stay with her; but he was afraid that the odd hours they would be keeping would disturb the old woman. Instead, Edward Lovegood elected to set up their base camp a little further up the hill, near a small spring.

Mrs. Minnet was pleased to discover that Harry Potter was a part of the expedition. She had followed his exploits for several years, having been an Ministry Auror herself many years before. After she and her husband had retired, they were determined to escape the crowds and noise of London, and here in the Orkneys they found the peace and solitude that they sought. They both loved the stark beauty of the islands, and after her husband died she chose to live on there alone; except for a half dozen rather protective cats. In so many ways she reminded Harry of Mrs. Frigg.

Both Luna and Harry were delighted to learn that Edward Lovegood had brought Grimmy along for the expedition. Actually, he had little choice in the matter. The large black wolf and his young niece Freda had become practically inseparable in the month she had been at The Meadows; the wolf sleeping protectively on the foot of her bed every night. Edward decided that this extra degree of security was just what the young girl needed, and wasn't about to separate the two. In the Orkneys, Freda and Grimmy occupied one tent, Harry and Luna a second, and Edward Lovegood the third. It was an arrangement that suited them all.

The search for the Artic Tweisel was entirely a nighttime undertaking, because the animals were strictly nocturnal. They would return to camp each morning at dawn, and after a quick nap, the three teens and the wolf were usually up and exploring the island; meanwhile Edward Lovegood would Apparate to the Quibbler offices in Diagon Alley to take care of running a newspaper. A part of each day became the ritual of afternoon tea with Mrs. Minnet, and the teens eagerly anticipated it. They very much enjoyed the company of the older woman, and the wonderful stories she told of Hogwarts when she was a young girl. Harry was a bit surprised when she told them that before becoming Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore taught Transfiguration. For some reason Harry had always thought that Professor Dumbledore would have taught Defense Against the Dark Arts, as he was so adept at both offensive and defensive magic.

Mrs. Minnet remembered Professor Dumbledore well; and the three teens learned that his teaching style was anything but conventional. She remembered one day in class when two boys were arguing loudly about Quidditch. Professor Dumbledore asked them politely to save the disagreement until after class, but when the disruption continued he waved his wand and turned the two into potted plants. He sat the two pots on either corner of his desk and admired them. Then he remarked to the class about how nice they looked and said that he might enjoy them for a week or two before changing them back. Mrs. Minnet said that they could see the two plants visibly tremble, but the rest of the class loved it. After class he did change them back and suggested that in future they save their disputes for non-class time; advise that they took without argument.

Mrs. Minnet, in turn, greatly enjoyed the stories that Harry and Luna told about attending Hogwarts in the present. Stories about playing Quidditch, exploring the Dark Forest, and especially about their adventure on the island of Avalon. Freda was quiet during most of these conversations, but both Harry and Luna knew how much she was looking forward to the start of classes in the fall. Her parents had home-schooled her in Austria, and now she was looking forward to making friends with children her own age.

Another reason that they all enjoyed the tea so much was that Mrs. Minnet made the best shortbread cookies that any of them had ever tasted. One day, in exchange for her kindness, Luna brought a tray of Chocolate Snorkacks, which she had somehow managed to bake in camp. The old woman thought that the chocolate confections were wonderful, and after a lovely tea, the two women exchanged favorite recipes.

- o -

During the first few days of the expedition they made no Tweisel sightings at all, but the three teens were having way too much fun to worry about it. Their rambles around the island had turned up a number of interesting stone circles and burial mounds, which Luna found of particular interest because of their ancient rune carvings. Occasionally, the three would visit the medieval village of Kirkwall, where the three received many curious glances as they wandered along its ancient cobbled streets. Of course, the fact that a large black wolf accompanied them wherever they went might account for the strange muggle reaction.

There were two springs on Ward Hill; one was quite near their camp and the other further up the hill. Each evening, just after dark, Luna and Harry would make their way up the hill to a Heather-blind that they had constructed overlooking the spring. They would spend the rest of the night watching for activity. Luna's Father and Freda watched the spring closer to camp, in case the younger girl got tired during the night.

Frankly, Luna and Harry were having a rather hard time watching for Tweisels with all the other distractions. The nights were clear and crisp, the moon was full, and the lights of the village of Kirkwall flickered in the distance. It was all just a little too romantic for them to resist, and far too often they found themselves gazing out over the moonlit bay instead on concentrating on the spring.

Then one night Harry heard a slight rustling in the bushes near the spring. He gently nudged Luna and pointed to the place. A few seconds later a shadowy creature emerged from the bushes and timidly approached the small pool of water. At first Harry thought that it was just one of Mrs. Minnet's house cats out for a nightly hunt; but then he realized that this animal was too large to be a house cat. It was at that moment that Harry realized that he was indeed looking at an Artic Tweisel, and he felt a rush of intense excitement. Luna must have realized it at the same moment, because he felt her squeeze his hand. They sat together in the darkness for the next thirty minutes as two more Tweisels came out of the bushes and joined the first. After they had quenched their thrust from the spring, the Tweisels began to romp and play on the bank like kittens; never aware that two smiling teens were nearby watching them. As the first pink rays of the sun began to show in the eastern skies the Tweisels returned to their burrows, and the two teens hurried back to camp to tell the others. They were all too excited to sleep, and Edward and Freda insisted that they recount every detail of what they had seen. The next night all four of them were concealed behind the blind when the three Tweisels returned.

Over the next two weeks they counted a total of eighteen different Tweisels, identifying each by the slightly different patterns of black spots on their coats. In addition to these, Edward Lovegood was certain that there were kittens back in the burrows which were too young to come down to the spring. They made careful notes on what they saw, on the behavior of the animals and about their relationships with each other. There were clearly superior and subordinate Tweisels, and the roles of each seemed clearly defined; but in general they all seemed to coexist as a happy family.

- o -

But it wasn't all work for the three teens; there was a lot of play as well. One day Harry and Luna got out their brooms and invited Freda to go flying with them. They were shocked to learn that Freda had never been on a broom in her life. Her parents felt that flying in the mountains, where they lived, would be too dangerous; so she had never learned. Harry and Luna decided that this was a situation that required immediate correction.

"Well for right now you can ride behind me on my broom." Luna said encouragingly, and mounted her broom well forward to make room for the young girl.

With some apprehension, but determination nonetheless, Freda climbed on behind her cousin and wrapped her arms tightly around Luna's waist. Harry put a special cloaking spell on the three of them; one that would allow them to see each other, but not allow others to see them. And then they took off for a smooth flight around the island. Soon the young girl was asking for more and more speed, and they began to have some real fun. Harry took the lead and led them down low, skimming just above the sea, and then they would shoot upwards when they came to an island. He could hear Freda screaming with delight just behind him and realized that she was going to enjoy flying as much as he and Luna did.

When they returned to camp Freda was overwhelmed by how wonderful the flight had been, and eagerly looked forward to learning to fly on her own. Both Harry and Luna thought that their Firebolts might be a bit much for the young girl to start on, so Luna Apparated back to her home at The Meadows and brought back her old orange Clean Sweep. Freda was absolutely thrilled when Luna gave it to her as a gift, and said she would treasure it always. They started their very first training session later that afternoon, with Harry and Luna flying on either side of the young girl as she rose into the sky. By the end of the day she was flying completely on her own, and Harry could see that she was a natural.

A few days later Harry overslept, and when he awoke he found that Luna was already gone. Edward Lovegood pointed Harry to a trail leading to a cliff overlooking the sea.

"Freda wanted to go flying and Luna agreed to go with her," he said, as Harry grabbed his Firebolt and started up the path.

A few minutes later Harry came to Luna sitting on a rock along the trail with her broom lying on the ground beside her. She was so engrossed in watching her young cousin, who was joyously flying high above her, that she didn't even hear Harry approach.

"Knut for your thoughts?" Harry asked, as he sat down close beside her

"I was just thinking about someday teaching our own children to fly." She answered, smiling at him shyly.

Harry put an arm around her back, pulling her in closer to him. 'That's a rather nice thought,' he said to himself. Then to her he said, "You're going to make a great Mum, and if they're anything like you they will need very little teaching."

She looked over at him and said mischievously. "And with you as their Dad, I know they're going to keep me on my toes every second."

He gave her an innocent look, that didn't quite come off, and then gave her a hug. The two of them sat close together and watched the young girl flying above the rocky cliffs all morning, getting bolder and bolder with her maneuvers.

"You know, she really is quite good." Luna said in admiration.

"I guess it runs in the family," Harry replied affectionately, and then added, "You know, the Gryffindor team is going to need a new Chaser next term. What do you think about Freda, if she gets sorted into Gryffindor that is?"

"Harry, that would be so nice," Luna replied happily. "When we get home I'm going to start working with her on Chaser tactics."

"You can count me in."

A few days later, when Harry and Luna were just emerging from their tent in the morning, Harry heard a high-pitched "Weeeeee," as Freda shot by over his head on her broom.

He hit the ground hard upon hearing her cry, and as he looked up he exclaimed, "She nearly took my head off."

"I think you'll live," Luna giggled as she looked at Harry on his hands and knees.

"Let's get her!" Harry shouted, and the two teens grabbed their brooms and shot off in pursuit. A wild chase resulted, as well as a high-spirited game of Broom-Tag.

- o -

That night at dinner Edward Lovegood outlined his plan for relocating the Tewisels. It was important that it all be handled as gently as possible, and that they not be disturbed in the slightest.

"Hagrid is preparing transport crates and special bait, and he'll be bringing them up here sometime next week, then we can begin our part of the operation." He explained.

"What kind of bait do you use?" Harry asked, concerned about the rare animals.

"No need to worry, Harry. It's very mild, and we've used it many times before. It's the very mildest of sedatives combined with a consumable Portkey. This will allow us to transport the Tweisels here to camp, and then return half the population back to their burrows. We'll send the other half to the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts and the forest at "The Meadows." There the population can grow in a protected environment away from inquisitive muggle and magic folk. Mrs. Minnet has offered to watch over the colony here, and keep any inquisitive muggles away."

On the appointed night they spread the bait under the Heather bushes around the springs and then returned to camp. Two days later the Portkey was activated and they were all delighted when forty-eight of the rare animals appeared on the grassy slope in front of their camp, all peacefully sleeping. Edward Lovegood said he and Freda would take twelve of the animals back to "The Meadows," and asked Harry and Luna to deliver the other twelve to Hogwarts. He said with a smile that the Headmaster had a rather important matter to discuss with them.

When the two Apparated to the coordinates that they had been given, they were surprised to find a landscape which greatly resembled the Orkneys; right down to the flowering Heather. They were greeted by Professor Dumbledore, Hagrid, and most surprising of all, by Hermione Granger. Professor Dumbledore congratulated the two teens on their success finding the Tweisels, and explained that they were on the far side of the Forbidden Forest.

"Even you and Miss Lovegood haven't managed to walk this far…yet." The old man said with a smile.

He waved his wand and the twelve Tweisels disappeared from their crates to reappear a second later in new burrows that had been specially prepared for them. When they awoke from their long nap they would have no memory of what had happened, and would resume doing what Tweisels do.

After escorting the three teens to his office, the Headmaster began to explain his reason for wanting to see them.

"I know you're wondering why I've asked you here on this fine summer's day, but it is a matter of some importance. Each year, after the end of term, the professors and I meet to discuss the position of Head Boy and Head Girl for the upcoming term. But this year we are in a rather unique quandary, as we find that we have two girls equally deserving of the position. This is the first such occurrence in the thousand year history of the school, but we feel that the two of you can share the responsibilities without difficulty.

Both Luna and Hermione were too surprised to speak, so the Headmaster continued. "Miss Granger is scholastically the brightest witch that Hogwarts has seen in more than a century; and that combined with the assistance that she has given to Harry has more than earned her the position of Head Girl. And Miss Lovegood played an indispensable role in the defeat of the Dark Lord in the Battle of Avalon; and the peer tutoring program that she instituted has resulted in substantial scholastic improvement for the school, as well as uniting its four houses. There was simply no way for us to choose between you. So this year we have selected two Head Girls."

"Harry, you have grown a great deal in the past two years. Your creation of the DA last year, and your continued support for it, has greatly strengthened our world's determination to fight the Dark Lord. It may interest you all to know that a full ninety-five percent of returning students have applied for DA membership. You were the almost unanimous choice of the faculty for the position of Head Boy, and I always felt your potential would lead you there."

Harry was absolutely struck dumb by the revelation that he was to become Head Boy, especially considering his less then perfect record over the past years.

"Are you sure there's no mistake, Professor?" He asked disbelievingly.

"Quite sure, Harry." Dumbledore said in a reassuring tone, explaining that the qualities that are looked for in a Head Boy were quite different from those of a Prefect. "Your Father was also Head Boy, but was never a Prefect."

After a pleasant chat, Professor Dumbledore escorted the three students up to the newly created eighth floor of Gryffindor tower, where their new quarters were located. Down a center aisle were three doors, each bearing a gold plaque, "Harry Potter" and "Luna Lovegood" were on one side of the aisle, and "Hermione Granger" was on the other.

Professor Dumbledore escorted them through Harry's door first. They entered into a nicely appointed study that was well illuminated by large leaded glass windows. A warm fire was already burning in the fireplace, around which were arranged comfortable arm chairs and a small sofa; on the other side of he room was a writing desk flanked on either side by oak bookcases.

Harry strolled over and read some of the titles: _Quidditch Strategy and Tactics,_ by O. C. Beesomble, _Dark Spells and Curses, _by J. W. Wickerwire, _The Seeker: Key to Quidditch,_ by Minerva "Lightning" Spellcaster. Harry looked back at Dumbledore questioningly.

"Professor McGonagall tried to select titles that you would find interesting." He replied to the unasked question.

Passing through to the bedroom they found that it also had a fireplace, as well as a large four-poster bed and large glass windows. The colors were done in Gryffindor gold and scarlet, right down to the gold and scarlet bedspread. A private bath completed the quarters. As they returned to the study, Dumbledore led them to a different door than that through which they had first entered. Passing through they found themselves in another study, this one also warm and comfortable but decorated with pictures of strange and unusual animals. Luna recognized most of them immediately, and felt immediately at home. This set of rooms was appointed exactly the same as Harry's.

As they passed out into the hallway, Professor Dumbledore looked at Harry and Luna and smiled. "I understand that the two of you are pledged, so I'll leave any further arrangements up to you."

- o -

"Is the Dark Lord comfortably settled at the Mountain Chalet?" Laxsor asked his servant, who had just returned from escorting Voldemort to his new place of exile.

"Yes, Master; and much relieved to be away from here." Mallick replied with a smirk.

"He didn't seem to have a very pleasant visit, did he? Ah, such a pity," Laxsor said mockingly. "And our House Elves at the Chalet?"

"They will report his every move and every visitor to you, Master. Nothing that the Dark Lord does will escape their vigilance. However, it's a pity that his nightmares have come to an end, I was rather enjoying them." Mallick said malevolently.

"Ah, my old friend, what kind of a host would I be if I deprived my guest of his dreams? When my Grandfather first built the Mountain Chalet he had Dream Stones incorporated into the foundations. Many were the enemies he drove into madness sleeping beneath that roof. No, the Dark Lord will continue to dream; for what, after all, is a man without his dreams?"

His Master's dark sense of humor never ceased to amuse Mallick, and he looked forward to his next visit to the Dark Lord, to see the tangible results of a continuous diet of nightmares.

"Now we need to move forward with our planning. I need to learn more about this young wizard, Harry Potter. It's been a long time since you've gone on a mission for me, my friend, but I think that time has come." Laxsor declared.

"Do you think Master Potter would care to meet Eva?" Mallick asked, a look of pure evil in his eyes.

"I'm sure any seventeen year old boy would, but perhaps the time is not yet right for Eva. I think perhaps Eric might be a better choice; a boy of seventeen might get close to Master Potter without arousing jealousies."

The Metamorph smiled in eager anticipation. And as his Master spoke his long grey hair shortened, and turned to a soft auburn; the bent, aged body became straight and muscular; and the dry, parchment-like skin became subtle and tanned. Now, in place of the bent and aged servant, there stood a young and vibrant seventeen-year-old boy.

Laxsor inspected him appraisingly, and took note of the cold blue eyes. "The eyes are not right, they are still too severe. I need…" And he hesitated with distaste before using the offensive word. "I need more innocence." Suddenly, Mallick's eyes became softer and gentler, and took on the color of hazel green.

"Excellent! Exactly what I want; this is what we will do. I will arrange for you to start school at Hogwarts in September. We will make you a Dutch transfer student from Beauxbatons Academy. Once there, I need you to learn everything you can about Harry Potter. I need to know about his friends, his plans, his strengths and his weaknesses, but most of all I need to know his fears."

"If I could be placed in the same house as Harry Potter I could more readily gather that information, Master." Mallick suggested.

"Very true…" Laxsor said deep in thought. "So we would need you placed in Gryffindor house. And it would be better if the Hogwarts Sorting Hat did not know of our, err… history together. I'll plant temporary memories and traits in your mind that will mask your true memories, and should provide you with the qualifications necessary for assignment to Gryffindor house. Those memories and traits will disappear immediately after the sorting ceremony."

"What if they check with Beauxbaton Academy?"

"Have no fear there, my friend. I will plant permanent memories in the minds of the teachers and Head Mistress. They will remember you as one of the finest students to ever attend their school. You will be welcomed at Hogwarts with open arms. Once there you will begin to gather information on all aspects of Harry Potter's life. I also learned from Tom's dreams that the Dark Lord still has one loyal agent remaining at Hogwarts, a Ravenclaw named Mandy Brocklehurst, who has been funneling him intelligence. I wish to know everything possible about her activities. Do nothing to hinder either side, yet. We will remain neutral until I decide how we will play the game."

"Do you think I might have the opportunity to play some Quidditch?" The Metamorpf asked wistfully.

"As the champion seeker for Durmstrang, I can understand your desire to get back in the air, my friend. In fact, it might work to our advantage if you were to secure a position on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. It would place you into close proximity to Harry Potter and his friends, and at the same time allow you to get back into the air."

As Mallick left his master he was eagerly anticipating his mission. Not only because the act of going undercover always set his blood racing and his pulse quickening, but also because the opportunity to play Quidditch again was a rare treat. Years before, Mallick had been Durumstang's champion Seeker for three years running. He had heard that Harry Potter was very good, and now he would have the opportunity to see for himself.

- o -

Harry and Luna returned to the Lovegood home in late June, and as always, it was like coming home to Harry. He found that his things had already been moved into Luna's bedroom and Freda occupied his old room. The rest of the month was spent in lazy walks through the woods, swims at the pond, and Quidditch games over the meadow. Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville became regular visitors, so scratch games of Quidditch became a daily routine. During these games Freda began to show a natural ability in the Chaser position, and with Luna and Ginny to train her, her abilities developed rapidly. All six teens dearly hoped that the young girl would be sorted into Gryffindor House; what a team they would have. And it certainly appeared that Gryffindor was her destiny, for her flying showed a courage and daring that fully matched Harry and Luna's.

Luna had taken Freda to visit the Rain Cave on the first rainy day after their return, promising her a truly magical experience. Harry had wanted to go along, but chose instead to remain at home and watch the falling rain from inside; this was a special time that the two girls needed to share alone. Harry understood that this was a unique part of Freda's heritage, and she needed to understand and appreciate it. She had last been in the Rain Cave on the night that she was born; but later she told them that it had felt like she had always been a part of it.

Two weeks later Luna kept her promise of the previous term, and invited her other friends to the cave one rainy morning. Hermione Grainger was as excited as a nine-year-old child, and Ron could barely restrain her as they followed the winding trail deep into the woods. The overarching canopy of green foliage, high above their heads, effectively prevented the first rain drops from reaching the ground; but the rolling thunder could be heard distinctly above them. At last they crested a small rise and descended into the Valley of the Wild Roses. Both Hermione and Ginny gasped at how beautiful the valley was; literally a blanket of bright colors. It had a strange and haunted feeling, but was reassuring as well; it was a unique feeling that none of them would ever forget.

As they entered the Rain Cave, the new visitors marveled at the beauty of the white and rose quartz of the walls, but more than that by the strange feeling of tranquility and peace that the place possessed. Hermione, of course, knew all the facts about the geologic features; but even she seemed to have lost some of her self-assuredness as she explained to the others how quartz was formed. Suddenly, the walls around her began to shimmer, and she stopped speaking in silent awe. Harry couldn't help but be amused; he had never seen anything that could cut Hermione off when she really got going, but the wonders of the Rain Cave certainly did.

As the rain outside intensified, so did the shimmering of the walls; and then the sound of the gentle voices began to be heard. Without a word or a sign, the six teens settled down on the soft moss and listened in rapt silence. At some point during the afternoon they found that they had all joined hands, none of them remembered exactly when; but it was comfortable and they remained that way. As they walked back after the rain had stopped, lighting the path ahead of them with their wands, it was with a sense of peace and serenity that few people ever know.

- o -

Harry and Freda both had their birthdays in July, his on the 31st and hers on the 23rd. It just didn't make any sense to have two separate parties only a week apart, so Luna decided to combine the two. The party was mainly for Freda, to have the opportunity to make friends with other children her own age. It was decided to have a picnic in the meadow, and Luna had invited several of the younger students she had met during her tutoring sessions.

A week before the party, early one Tuesday morning, Harry and Luna flooed to Diagon Alley; ostensibly for the purpose of buying a birthday gift for Freda. But Harry had two other reasons that he kept to himself.

The two walked down the narrow cobbled street, hand in hand, and enjoyed the crisp morning air, as well as the many unique sights and smells of the alley. Harry felt the ancient iron key in the pocket of his jeans; the key that he had gotten from Luna's Father the night before. He felt that it was important that Luna visit her Grandfather's old shop, though he couldn't really explain quite why. Somehow he wanted the old man to know that his granddaughter was being well taken care of. Luna was completely mystified as he led her up the disused side alley next to Quality Quidditch Supplies. Then she saw the faded sign for "Precious Things," and a wide smile appeared on her face, and she hugged Harry's arm tighter.

Pulling the iron key from his pocket he inserted it into the ancient lock, and turned it with some difficulty. The door swung inwards with a loud creaking sound, and the two teens stepped over the threshold. The minute they entered the empty shop they both felt a strange, but somehow comforting presence. Harry took Luna's left hand in his, so whatever spirits might remain in the shop could see the Pledge Rings on their fingers. It had been overcast all morning; but suddenly a ray of bright sunlight broke through the gloom, flooded through the dirty windows, and illuminated the interior of the shop. Both Harry and Luna felt that the old man knew and was happy for them.

As Harry was leaving, he turned back to the empty shop. "This time we'll win!" He said with determination, and with light hearts the two teens returned to the alley.

Before they looked for a gift, Harry said that he needed to stop at Gringotts and refill his money bag. He led Luna up the marble steps and into the elaborate lobby. Walking up to one of the goblin tellers, he asked directions to the goblin in charge. The teller studied Harry intently for a moment, with the less than happy expression that goblins always seemed to wear, and then directed him to a raised desk at the far end of the lobby. As the two teens approached, a goblin with a long, thin nose and bushy eyebrows looked up from his work and viewed them appraisingly from behind his half-moon shaped glasses.

"My name is Harry Potter." Harry said in a respectful tone. "I was told that you would have some documents for us to sign."

A glimmer of recognition appeared in the goblin's eyes and he nodded briefly and then began to thumb through the parchments that littered his desk. Luna laid a gentle hand on Harry's arm. "What documents?" She asked curiously.

Harry knew that the time had finally come. He looked down at Luna lovingly. "You're my wife, aren't you?"

She smiled dreamily at his words. As often as he had called her "his wife" over the past two months, she never tired of hearing it. Nor did she ever tire of calling Harry her "husband." While they had not yet gone through the formality of a wedding ceremony, they both believed that their pledge united them more than human words ever could.

"Yes, I'm your wife," she said lovingly, as she gently slipped her hand into his.

"Then what's mine is yours and what's yours is mine. Right?"

"Err, yes," she answered a bit uncertainly.

At that moment the goblin found what he was looking for. "Here it is, Mr. Potter. It's all as you requested. Will you and your wife will please sign at the bottom of the parchment?" He asked, as he handed the parchment, quill and ink over the counter to Harry.

"What is it?" Luna asked curiously.

"It's to put your name on our account." Harry replied

Dutifully Luna signed the document and Harry passed it back to the goblin. He in turned passed a small, gold key back to Luna. Then they went down into the vaults and filled their money bags. Luna knew that Harry had some money, but never dreamed of what she saw in their vault.

"Well, at least I know you didn't pledge me for my money." He said jokingly.

"No," Luna replied, a mischievously grin on her face, "I pledged you because you're such a good kisser."

Harry tried, and failed, to look shocked. Then pulled her close and gave her one of his 'good kisses.' Then, arm in arm, they walked back to the alley, Harry guiding her in the direction Quality Quidditch Supplies. He had an idea for Freda's birthday present, but felt it was something that the two of them needed to discuss.

"You know," he began uncertainly, "if Freda is going to play Quidditch in the fall, she's going to need a new broom. What do you think about a new Firebolt as a birthday present from the two of us?"

"It's an awfully expensive present, don't you think?" Luna asked tentatively.

"I don't think so. The prices have really dropped since the new Firebolt Plus came out, and it's been a great broom for me."

Luna hugged his arm tightly. "Then I think it would make a wonderful present."

They went into the shop and began to look at the various broom displays. As Luna saw Harry linger over a display of Firebolt Plus brooms especially designed for Seekers, she made a mental note as to a possible Christmas present for him. Finally they located a display of Firebolts that had been customized to the needs of Chasers. Luna selected an oak broom with a slightly reduced handle length, which would be easier for the young girl to handle. After it was gift wrapped, Harry took his wife out to lunch as Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. As they prepared to Floo back to The Meadows, they both agreed that it had been a lovely day out.

The day of Freda's birthday dawned bright and clear, with a gentle breeze that would keep it from becoming too warm. Harry gazed out his bedroom window at the grasses of the meadow, swaying back and forth gently in the breeze. The gentle movement of the grass reinforced his impression that the meadow resembled a peaceful green sea, with gentle waves and flowing currents. The view always made him feel at peace, and it was one of the things he loved most about the house in the woods.

Luna came up behind him and put her arm around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder. "You never get tired of looking at it, do you?" She said dreamily.

"No, it reminds me how lucky I am, and how beautiful the world is." He responded, kissing her gently on the forehead. The two remained in each others arms for a few more minutes, watching the peaceful meadow, as the sun rose in the east.

"We better get breakfast," Luna suggested, taking his hand. "It's going to be a busy day." And together they walked down to the kitchen and together made breakfast for the rest of the family.

As the delicious scent of waffles and eggs drifted up the stairs the two teens heard the sounds of someone moving about, and a few minutes later Grimmy and Freda came bounding down the stairs and into the kitchen.

As the young girl piled her plate high with bacon and waffles, slipping a few pieces of bacon under the table for Grimmy, she asked excitedly, "When are they coming?"

As Luna gently calmed and reassured the excited child, Harry couldn't help but be impressed; and thought about what a wonderful mother Luna was going to make.

- o -

Most of the preparations for the picnic had already been made, and it was just a matter of waiting for the guests to start arriving. Luna and Harry had invited some of the second and third year students that they had gotten to know during the tutoring sessions. They thought that this would give Freda a chance to meet children her own age, and make some friends before she started at Hogwarts in September.

The shy thirteen and fourteen-year-olds began to arrive in late morning. One of the first was Andrew McDonnell, who lived only a few kilometers away in a neighboring village. He and Freda seemed to take an instant liking to one another, and Luna noticed with satisfaction that they spent most of the day together. Freda absolutely loved her new broom, and gave all her new friends the opportunity to ride it. Later in the day, while the younger children were playing Quidditch in the meadow, Luna had an opportunity to give Harry his present.

Her present to him was something incredibly simple, yet something that he would treasure all of his life. It was a single sheet of parchment carefully folded within a sheet of blue parchment and tied with a ribbon. When Harry opened it, he really didn't understand what the contents meant. It was simply Luna's book list for the following term. He looked at her curiously, and then looked back at the parchment more carefully. Then he realized that the heading at the top of the page read "Seventh Year Booklist." Seventh year? But Luna would only be in her sixth-year the coming term.

Harry was thoroughly confused until Luna took pity on him and explained. For the past three months, with the help of Minerva McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore, Luna had been challenging and passing her sixth-year classes one by one. She had done this so she could share seventh-year classes with Harry and they could graduate together. Only a few days before she had completed her last test in Transfiguration. Ron and Neville had helped her by distracting Harry so she could Apparate to Hogwarts and take the test. Professor McGonagall had rushed through the results and sent her the notice of passing along with her seventh-year book list.

Harry was absolutely delighted with the "gift," because for the life of him he didn't know how he was ever going to handle a whole year of Luna being in school after he graduated. He honestly doubted he could be separated from her for a week, let alone for the months that her seventh year would entail. It also explained how Luna could have been made Head Girl, even though she was technically only entering her sixth-year; Professor Dumbledore must have anticipated her passing all of her tests.

- o -

Late in the summer, Mallick paid one last visit to Voldemort in the chalet that Laxsor had given him. Laxsor wanted to learn how his "guest" was doing, and what effect the diet of nightmares had on his mind. He had to be careful, for although he wanted to torture the Dark Lord, he didn't want to drive him over the edge into insanity. Sane, the Dark Lord might still be able to provide Laxsor with the Veil of Death.

Mallick observed with satisfaction that the Dark Lord had appeared to age several years since their last meeting, a few weeks previously, and now appeared in a near frantic condition. Nevertheless, he retained his sanity, at least for that moment.

"Has Laxsor developed a plan for the destruction of Potter?" Voldemort demanded, a note of desperation clearly evident in his voice.

Judging by his fearful state, Mallick thought it best to reassure the Dark Lord at that point. "My Master's plan is developing well, but before it can be completed he needs to know more about Harry Potter and his weaknesses. My Master begs you to be patient, and has asked me to assure you that the plan will soon be complete. From here I leave for Hogwarts as a student; and there I will learn the information that my Master needs."

"You Mallick, you are going to Hogwarts?" The Dark Lord asked, the information seeming to calm him somewhat.

An evil smile formed on the old servant's face as he replied, "Yes, Lord Voldemort. It should be most amusing." Then, changing the subject, Mallick asked, "How does the recruitment of new Death Eaters proceed?"

"Well, very well." Voldemort answered hastily. "When the plan is ready I shall have a force sufficient to carry it out."

Mallick knew that this was a lie, for his master had carefully spread the word among the dark wizards of Europe that Voldemort was a beaten man, that he had abandoned his Death Eaters to their fate, and that he had fled Britain like a coward. Laxsor suggested that any who would join the Dark Lord would likely share a similar fate. Voldemort hadn't been able to recruit a single new follower, and Mallick knew that he actually had only a handful left; two with him in Germany and three still in England.

After Mallick had taken his leave, Draco Malfoy asked the Dark Lord a question. "How can that old man go to Hogwarts as a student?"

Looking at the boy with contempt, Voldemort replied. "Mallick is an extremely talented Metamorph, and can take the form of almost anyone he wants. And I believe that I see the germ of Laxsor's plan. One of Mallick's most convincing guises is that of a sweet, innocent sixteen year old girl named Eva; a girl that could melt the heart of any young boy. I wonder if Laxsor's plan isn't to use her to alienate young Potter from his friends. Dividing to conquer is an old ploy of Laxsor's." As the Dark Lord spoke he never noticed the look of shame and humiliation on the face of his young follower.


	15. When Dreams Are All You Have

**Disclaimer:** The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **My special thanks to _John Adams _for her friendship and help in beta reading this story, and for keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for her many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been.

**Chapter Note: **Several reviewers have expressed the hope that this story will include Harry and Luna's life after Hogwarts. I had not intended to carry the story that far, but as they have been so generous with their reviews that I'm including this chapter as a sort of compromise. I hope they like it.

**CHAPTER 15: WHEN DREAMS ARE ALL YOU HAVE**

Harry and Luna didn't see much of Freda once they boarded the Hogwarts Express; she had gone off with some third- and fourth-year students that she had met at her birthday party. Luna and Harry loved the young girl, but were glad to see that she was making friends among children her own age. From what they could see, Andrew McDonnell was destined to be a particularly close friend. That left the six of them, who had been through so much together, sharing a compartment on this last train ride to Hogwarts. They had a brief meeting with the prefects from the other houses, discussing their duties and responsibilities, and then they were left to themselves.

This journey to Hogwarts was a good deal different from previous years. All six teens were rather quiet and lost within their own thoughts. It was a bitter-sweet time for all of them, and especially for Harry. This was his seventh train ride to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and he knew it would be his last. For Harry, his life really began at Hogwarts. It was there he learned who he truly was, met his true friends, and most important, it was at Hogwarts that he met the girl that he would love until the end of time.

Now he could see that very soon his school days would be coming to an end, and he felt sadness deep within him. Things were certain to change from here. They were all destined to go out on their own, and seek their own futures in life. The six of them would always remain close friends, of that he was certain, but it would never be the same as it was now. He would miss waking up late at night to the sound of Neville snoring, or watching Ron wolf down his breakfast as Hermione scolded him, or the way Ginny would tease her older brother unmercifully.

But as he reflected on his changing world, he felt a gentle squeeze on his hand. He looked down into Luna's trusting silver eyes, and realized that the most important thing in his life would never change. She understood him so well, understood the sadness he was feeling at that moment; and she wanted him to know that no matter what happened, her feelings would never change. Harry gently squeezed her hand in return, saying without words that he understood and felt the same way.

But it wasn't all sadness, there was happiness as well. The previous night Harry and the Lovegood family had gone to the Weasley home for supper. After a wonderful meal, with all their friends and family present, Ron pledged himself to Hermione and she pledged herself to him. Ron had been slow to make the decision, but when he realized how happy his friends were, he wanted the same thing for himself and Hermione.

It turned out that finding the Weasley family Pledge Rings was the hardest part. The Weasleys had always considered themselves very progressive in the wizarding world, and had long abandoned the custom of pledging their mates. In fact, both Arthur and Molly Weasley were quite concerned when their daughter Ginny had bound her soul to Neville Longbottom. But Neville was such a sweet boy, and so deeply loved their daughter, that they decided that it was alright. Besides, if it was good enough for Harry Potter, then it was good enough for them.

But when Ron asked his Father about the family Pledge Rings, Arthur Weasley was frankly at a complete loss; he honestly didn't even know if they still existed. After an exhaustive search, during which the family ghoul was thoroughly inconvenienced, the rings were found in a dust covered trunk in a dark corner of the attic. The pledging itself went off perfectly, and everyone present felt certain that it was right for the two of them.

Seeing how quiet the others in the compartment were, Neville looked into Ginny's eyes with a question. She understood it without him saying a word andnodded her head, giving him a warm smile.

"Ginny and I have an announcement to make," Neville began, as he put his arm around Ginny's shoulders. "My Grandmother and I had a talk this summer, and I've purchased a piece of land in Ottery St. Catchpole. Ginny and I want to build our home there, so we can raise our children around family." And by "family," Harry knew that he meant all of them. That feeling that they were all part of one family made them feel much better.

The clickity-clack sound of the rails of the Hogwarts Express gradually put Luna to sleep, and she nestled into Harry's chest. He laid his head on the top of her soft hair and breathed in the delicate scent of the Lavender perfume that she had received so many months ago at the Hogsmead Autumn Faire. He smiled at the memory, closed his eyes, and dozed off himself; the sound of the rails lulling him to sleep.

The gentle clacking of the rails seemed to transform themselves into the crackling of logs burning in a fireplace. Harry opened his eyes and found himself in Edward Lovegood's study back at The Meadows. A cheerful fire was burning in the hearth and he found he had several scrolls in his hands.

"Daddy, Daddy." He heard a girl call out from the hallway, and then a little girl of about nine years old ran into the room and jumped up onto Harry's lap. She had long blond hair and bright silver eyes, just like her mother, and Harry knew instinctively that he loved her very much. He found himself hugging her tightly, and rocking her back and forth in his arms.

"I missed you so much today, Lizzie." He said, kissing the girl on the cheek. "What has my little girl been up to?"

At that moment a little boy of about seven, with emerald green eyes and unkempt black hair, ran into the room and up to his Father. Harry pulled the child up onto his lap as well, and held the two children close.

"We missed you too, Daddy." The little girl responded sincerely. "It's not as much fun when you're at work. Can we go over and play with Ronnie? Mummy said we could go if you said it was okay."

Lizzie shared her Mother's ability to change subjects without warning, but Harry was used to it by then. "Do you want to go too, Jamie?" Harry found himself asking.

"Yes, Daddy," the little boy said excitedly, a wide smile on his face.

Harry looked up and saw Luna standing in the doorway, wearing pale blue robes and smiling mischievously.

"Did you put them up to this?" he asked, smiling.

"Well I may have, just a bit. But Hermione did invite us over for dinner. She said that Ron just bought the new broom that he was planning on, and she thought you might want to try it out."

"Well I guess that makes the vote unanimous," Harry responded, helping his children down to the floor. "Let's fly over."

The little girl squealed happily, and ran to get her broom. A few minutes later they were all in the air on their way to The Burrow. Little Jamie was riding with his Mother, but Lizzie was riding on her own broom; an ancient orange Clean Sweep that her Mother had ridden years before at Hogwarts. Lizzie had only started riding on her own about six months previously, but was already quite accomplished; and she eagerly looked forward to the day when the grown-ups would let her play Quidditch with them.

As they came in for a landing in the Weasley back yard, they saw little Ronnie Weasley running out the back door carrying his Father's wand. His Father, a dark scowl on his face, came charging out right behind him. Ron's hair had suddenly turned a shocking, florescent pink color; and Harry was quite certain little Ronnie had some involvement with. Ronnie ducked under the dinner table and around a tree, leaving Ron dragging behind and out of breath. The minute he saw the new arrivals, the young boy ran over to greet them.

"Hi, Lizzie," the boy said excitedly, completely ignoring the two adults. "Would you like to go for a fly?"

"Sure!" She replied to her best friend.

But just as the two children were about to run off to play, Ron Sr. came up behind the boy and snatched the wand out of his hand. "I'll just take that, young man" he said good-naturedly.

"Your hair pretty," Jamie said with a grin.

"Yeah, pretty," Ron responded sarcastically, and scowling at his mischievous son he added, "I was going to let him play Quidditch with us today, but now I'm not sure he deserves it."

"Oh, please let him play, Uncle Ron." Lizzie begged. "If he plays maybe Daddy will let me play too," she added, casting a sly glance at her Father.

"Well, 'Uncle Ron,' what do you say?" Harry asked.

"Well, I guess so," Ron said reluctantly.

The two nine-year-olds screamed with glee, and Ronnie grabbed Lizzie's hand and they ran off to get his broom.

"Nice shade of pink, Ron." Harry said with a snicker. "But don't you think it's a bit undignified for the star Keeper of the Chudley Cannons?"

"Stow it, mate," Ron responded with a grin, "That kid gets more like Fred and George every day." Then he tapped himself on the head and turned his hair back to its normal red color. "Do you want to try out my new Firebolt 6000 or just make cute remarks about my hair?"

"Well, riding your new broom was the main reason I came, but pink hair was just too good to pass up" Harry answered snickering, as the three adults started to walk towards the house. Little Jamie had already run off looking for Ron's six-year-old daughter Molly, his favorite playmate. As they approached the door Harry began to hear a strange clacking sound and the scene before him began to blur and he found himself back in the compartment of the Hogwarts Express, Luna in his arms. She was just waking up too.

"I had the nicest dream," she said contentedly, nuzzling her head against his shoulder.

"Me too." Harry responded, still a bit sleepy. "Lizzie looks just like you."

"And Jamie looks just like you," Luna responded in a sleepy voice. And then sat bolt upright when she realized that they had both shared the same dream.

"Nice dream, Mum," Harry said slyly, and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Very nice….But actually, I think it was more of a vision" Luna said mysteriously, and snuggled back into Harry's chest. "Let's go back to sleep, I want to see Lizzie play her first Quidditch game."

Harry was shocked by Luna's description of their dream. "A vision! Do you mean of the future?" He replied, but then after the initial shock had worn off he asked. "But you can't just pick up a vision where you left off; can you?"

"Have you ever tried?" She responded with a smile.

"Well, no. My visions in the past have been the kind that I wouldn't exactly want to resume."

She frowned slightly, and then smiled up at him sweetly. "Well try this time." And with that she closed her eyes and hugged him tightly. Harry closed his eyes and laid his head on top of hers.

"Now where was I?" He mumbled to himself. "Oh yeah…" And with that he drifted off into a peaceful sleep. A short time later the others were surprised to hear both Harry and Luna laughing in their sleep, and they both had wide smiles on their faces.

"What do you think they are dreaming about?" Ron asked in wonder.

"I have no idea." Hermione replied, equally astonished.

A few minutes later the two teens awoke from their dream refreshed and happy. But the minute they looked at Ron Weasley they both broke into uncontrollable laughter.

"What's going on?" Ron asked, more than a little confused.

"Oh, nothing Ron," Harry managed to choke out. "We were just thinking that you would look rather interesting with pink hair." With that remark Luna broke into an uncontrollable fit of giggles. The rest of the trip Harry and Luna kept mostly to themselves, talking happily in low voices about something their friends couldn't quite hear. Ron and Hermione wondered about that and about the strange and rather dreamy attitude that both of them seemed to have developed. Ron was concerned enough that he whispered into Hermione's ear, asking if she thought that Voldemort could have taken possession of them in their dreams.

She very much doubted it, but couldn't explain their odd change in behavior either. When asked, the two teens said they couldn't talk about it right then, but they would tell the others later.

- o -

Harry and his friends were among the last students to enter the Great Hall before the Sorting Feast began. In their new positions, it was their responsibilities to see that the other students were properly directed to the Great Hall for the feast, and that none lagged behind. So when they finally entered, all of the tables were already filled. They were a bit embarrassed by the applause that erupted around the room, but rather pleased that space had been left for them at the head of Gryffindor table.

As they seated themselves, Professor Dumbledore stood and spread his arms to welcome them back to another year at Hogwarts. He told the returning students that this was going to be an exciting year for them, but not quite as exciting as the previous one had been. This remark elicited a murmuring of agreement from the students, because no one really desired that kind of excitement again. Professor Dumbledore didn't elaborate on exactly what he was referring to, but he did wink at Harry and his friends as he made his remarks.

Then the Sorting Hat and stool were brought forward and placed in front of the Teacher's Table. Professor McGonagall led the shy first-years into the Great Hall and up to the front of the room. Harry heard Ron refer to them as "midgets," which earned him an elbow in the side from Hermione, but she had to admit they did look extremely small.

After the sorting was completed the Sorting Hat began its song. But this time it was much more upbeat than in previous years. The Hat congratulated the four houses on coming together as one to defeat the forces of darkness. But it went on to warn that the threat, though weakened, still existed; and they must remain vigilant. Harry generally found the song to be reassuring this year, and the fact that Luna sat close beside him only added to his confidence.

Ron was all set for the feast to appear when Professor Dumbledore stood once again. "Before we begin our meal we have two further sortings to accomplish, these of older students who are transferring to our school."

Professor McGonagall led Freda Shaw into the Great Hall, and between the long rows of tables up to the front. The young girl felt a bit self conscious, and perhaps a little afraid as well, but she was reassured by the applause she received from her family and all her new friends.

She sat on the stool and the Sorting Hat was placed on her head. Harry could see her lips moving, and he knew she was discussing the matter of her placement with the Hat. And then in a loud, clear voice the Hat called out "Gryffindor!" There was loud applause from the Gryffindor table as Freda hopped down off the stool, and took her seat with the other third-years. Ron Weasley, who was cheering louder than most, was now anticipating the greatest Quidditch team in the history of Gryffindor House.

Then Professor McGonagall led an older student into the hall; a boy of about seventeen with auburn hair and hazel eyes. The name of Eric Van Meer was called, and he walked confidently forward. The boy smirked as he heard one Hufflepuff girl exclaim a little too loudly, "Oh isn't he handsome!" The Hat was placed on his head and immediately called out "Gryffindor!" He walked over to the table and took the seat that was provided for him. Harry had been watching closely, and felt that there was something not quite right about the boy; although he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He noticed that the Headmaster was also watching the new boy, but then he said in a clear voice, "Tuck in!"

- o -

After dinner the Prefects and Head Boy and Girls led the new first-years up to their common rooms. As Head Boy, it was decided that Harry would have the honor of setting the first password for Gryffindor Tower. Thinking fondly about Luna, Harry announced to The Fat Lady that the password for Gryffindor Tower would be "Crumple Horned Snorkack." The portrait gave him a strange look, and then accepted it. Luna, for her part, gave him a warm smile and a hug. After all, it was that little creature that had helped to bring the two of them together.

As they entered the common room one little first-year boy pointed at Harry's scar and whispered in awe, "Is that really Harry Potter?" Harry heard the boy and just smiled, the notoriety not bothering him anymore.

Luna Lovegood, who was standing right next to Harry, turned to the little boy and answered dreamily, "Yes, that's Harry….My best friend."

The little boy's mouth dropped open in shock as he saw the Head Girl's badge on her robes. He knew that this must be Luna Lovegood, the girl that had gone to Avalon with Harry Potter, and had faced the Dark Lord. On the Hogwarts Express the little boy had heard as much about her as he had about Harry.

Seeing the expression of awe on the boy's face, Harry gave Luna's hand a squeeze and with a wide grin said, "Welcome to the club."

When Mallick reached the seventh-year boy's dorm, he was rather disappointed to learn that Harry Potter, as Head Boy, would no longer be sharing a room with the other boys in his year. This meant that he would not be able to observe his subject quite so closely, but he could still learn much from Harry's best friends Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom. In the coming weeks, Mallick was to loose no opportunity in trying to swing the conversation over to the subject of Harry Potter. Ron and Neville continually resisted his attempts; both knowing full well that Harry hated his hero image. But Mallick was used to difficult assignments, and he never shied away from a challenge.

- o -

It was something of a tradition in Gryffindor House that after the Sorting Feast, on their first night back, the older students would gather in the common room to get reacquainted and talk about what they had done during the summer. The word had somehow leaked out that Harry and Luna had spent part of their summer in the Orkneys, and now everyone wanted to know the details. But to everyone's surprise, the two teens said they were rather tired, and that they were going to bed early.

Ron cast Hermione a significant look as the two got up to leave, and she looked a little concerned herself. "Something is going on with them," Ron began. "How can they be tired, they slept most of the way?"

"They've been acting strangely ever since they woke up on the train," Neville added, concern evident in his voice.

"I know, it's almost like they're dreaming," Ginny said.

"We need to find out what's going on," Hermione declared with determination. She stood and led the other three up the stairs to the top floor of Gryffindor Tower. When she received no response knocking on Harry's door, she tried again on Luna's. Harry answered the door, a strange smile on his face.

"What's going on, Harry?" Hermione asked directly.

He motioned them into Luna's study and invited them all to sit down. Harry sat next to Luna on the sofa, holding her hand. For a moment there was no sound in the room save for the crackling of the fire in the hearth.

"We were just discussing our children," Harry said in a calm voice.

"Your children?!" Hermione gasped, and the others were equally shocked.

"That's right." Harry replied, amused by the looks of confusion on the faces of his friends. "Luna thinks that our daughter Lizzie would be perfect in a Chaser position, but I think she would be a natural at Seeker."

He could see that their level of confusion was growing, and decided that he would have mercy on them. "The dream we had on the train, well it was actually a vision that both Luna and I shared. We saw our children a dozen years from now."

"And we saw your children, too." Luna added with a smile.

"Our children!" Neville said with a gasp.

"Yes," Luna continued in a dreamy way. "You and Ginny will have the most adorable nine-year-old twin daughters, Holly and Heather, and a five-year-old son named Andrew. The little boy looks just like you, Neville."

On hearing this both Ginny and Neville turned bright red, and looked rather shocked and pleased at the same time; but Luna didn't seem to notice.

Ron took hold of Hermione's hand and asked the question for both of them. "And us?"

"You'll have a nine-year-old son named Ronnie and a five-year-old daughter named Molly." Luna explained.

"Ronnie will be so much like Fred and George that it's scary, and Molly will have a crush on our son Jamie." Harry added with a smirk.

In the hour that followed, Harry and Luna told the others every detail of their vision, their children, and the Quidditch game they had played. When they came to the part about the florescent pink hair, Ron didn't even seem to notice; he was too busy grinning at the thought of having a son and daughter of his own. Later, when the four teens returned to the common room, other students wondered about the strangely dreamy expressions they wore.

- o -

That night, after their friends had left, Harry and Luna got ready for bed; each lost in their own thoughts of what a perfect day it had been. The two had decided to share Luna's room; it had a lovely view of the lake and the green forest beyond, and the sunset was beautiful from the small balcony off the bedroom. Harry kept the key to his own rooms to pass on to Neville; after all, Neville and Ginny needed a place where they could have a little privacy. It had been a very long day; but as the two teens got into bed their thoughts were of the dream they had shared on the train, and their hopes that it would become a reality. Luna laid her head on Harry's chest, and he held her close in his arms, and they gently fell off to sleep.

The next thing Harry knew, he was down on his knees in a bed of thick, soft moss. Looking around, he realized that he was in the Rain Cave. Luna was lying on the moss in front of him, and he was holding her hand tenderly as she smiled up at him. But the two of them weren't alone; looking around the cave Harry saw Hermione, Ginny, Minerva McGonagall, and most surprising of all, Madam Pomfrey. Looking down at Luna, Harry realized what was going on: she was having their baby.

Professor McGonagall had asked Madam Pomfrey, as a special favor to her, to come down and help with the delivery. At first, Madam Pomfrey was appalled at the idea of a child being born in a damp cave out in the woods; but when Minerva explained that it was a Shaw family tradition the medi-witch reluctantly agreed to assist. However, once she entered the cave her whole attitude changed. The cave was warm and nurturing; and all who entered it felt the gentle, benevolent spirit that existed within. The witch said she wished that all babies could be born in such a nurturing environment.

Harry leaned down close to Luna's ear and whispered, "Not long now." She smiled back up at him and answered, "No, not long."

Others might not see it, but in Harry's eyes Luna had always been lovely; he could see her true beauty, and that was in the purity of her heart. But in the sparkling light of the cave, as she gave birth to their child, he realized how really beautiful she was, and how blessed he was to have her.

Then he heard the slightest cry of a baby, announcing the arrival of their infant daughter. The sparkling light and murmuring voices of the cave intensified for a moment; and Harry somehow knew that the spirits of the Wood Nymphs were sharing some of their magic with the little girl, and he was happy for her.

The baby was wrapped in a soft blanket, and was laid in her Mother's arms. She had wisps of fine blond hair and clear bluish-silver eyes; which Harry somehow knew would turn to pure-silver in a few months. He fell hopelessly in love with her from the moment he first saw her. "She's so beautiful." He managed to whisper to Luna, afraid of breaking the spell should he speak too loud. "You're both so beautiful."

Luna smiled lovingly up at Harry; he couldn't have said anything to please her more. They had talked about names, but the right one had always eluded them. Now Luna asked, "Well, Daddy, what shall we call her?"

Without hesitation Harry answered, "I want to call her Elizabeth, after the wonderful woman who brought you into the world, and sent you to me."

Luna gave him a beautiful smile. "Elizabeth. I like that."

Madam Pomfrey suggested that baby and mother be transported back to the house to rest; but Luna said no, she wanted to spend the night with her baby in the Rain Cave. Harry immediately said that he wanted to stay as well, and that the three of them would return in the morning. Their friends wished them a good night, and departed. The young wizard lay down next to his wife, their baby between them, and looked deep into her eyes. Neither of them needed to say a word, their smiles saying everything that was in their hearts. They closed their eyes and drifted off into a blissful sleep.

When Harry woke up he was back in his bed at Hogwarts, Luna lying next to him smiling contentedly. "Good morning, Daddy," she said, kissing him lightly on the lips.

He returned her smile. "Good morning Mum. That dream was even better than the one we had on the train," he said, taking her in his arms.

"Much better," she said dreamily, and snuggled into his chest.

They stayed in bed and talked about their baby until breakfast was almost over, and a most embarrassed Hermione Grainger knocked on their door to remind them that they had classes starting soon.

At lunch they sat with their friends and took turns telling them about their dream from the previous night. Frankly, Harry was a little embarrassed by the subject, and so he let Luna do most of the talking. The girls all thought it a lovely dream, but Ron was less than enthusiastic.

"Well, Mr. Ronald Weasley, when I have our son I expect you to be there," Hermione said indignantly.

"Hermione, you know I'm going to be there with you," he said tenderly, regretting his words. "I wouldn't miss a second of it."

Each night, during the days that followed, brought a new dream vision to the young couple. Soon the members of Gryffindor House began to notice that Harry and Luna were going to bed earlier each evening; and there were a number of smiles and winks as the two left the common room together. But their closest friends knew that the real reason for this was that the two teens were eager for yet another vision of their future.

Each morning, at breakfast, they would tell their friends of the previous night's dream, which frequently involved their friends, and their friend's children. Neville and Ginny learned that the old fortune teller of the previous year had been right; they would have six children, the first two of which would be twin daughters. Ron and Hermione learned that their son Ronnie was a real prankster, who could give both Fred and George a run for their money; and that he was the first of five children they would have. Harry and Luna learned that they were also destined to have five children; and that their youngest daughter, Lilly, would one day be the Head Mistress of Hogwarts.

Hermione was in a real quandary about the visions. She understood that after all the loneliness that Harry and Luna had experienced in their lives; they had a real need to see a happy future together. But she was afraid that with them going to bed earlier each evening they might be neglecting their school work. She gently reminded them that this was their final year, and that their N.E.W.T.s were coming up in the spring.

But then one morning, when they came down to breakfast, Harry told her about their latest dream. It was their Lizzie's sixteenth Christmas, and as usual they were spending it with the Weasley and Longbottom families at The Burrow. There, in front of their friends and families, Ron Weasley Jr. pledged Lizzie Potter; and she, blushing like a beet, returned the pledge.

Hermione was so overwhelmed by the thought that her son and Harry's daughter would pledge each other, that she made Harry retell the story over and over again; until she knew every detail. That was the day when Hermione Granger learned what was really important in life.

Harry knew that he should tell Professor Dumbledore about the dreams, because all of his visions were important; but they were of such a personal nature that he just wanted to keep them private a bit longer.

But Luna and Minerva had become good friends, and she had happily told the older woman of the wonderful visions that she had of their future. Minerva was thoroughly confused, but she went along with her young friend and told her how beautiful the visions were. At the same time she knew that the visions were simply not possible, and she feared that Voldemort might somehow be involved. The prophesies of Rowena Ravenclaw were legendary in the wizarding world, and were never wrong. The old woman felt compelled to talk to the Headmaster about the matter.

"What can they possibly mean," she asked him, after she had finished telling the story.

The Headmaster was quiet for a long time, deep in thought; finally he answered her in slow, measured tones. "I believe that they are being sent these visions."

"By Voldemort!?" Minerva gasped.

"No….No, Voldemort would have no reason to send them such happy visions. Besides, Harry has become quite skilled in the art of Occlumency. I doubt that Voldemort could break into his mind."

"By who then?"

"I don't know." He said, almost to himself. "But it must be a source of great power. I believe that these may possibly be visions of what they might have been, had fate did not decreed otherwise."

"But why?" Minerva McGonagall asked, grief evident in her voice.

"Perhaps simply to make them happy. Perhaps so that they might enjoy the life that they might have had. But I can see no harm in them, let them have their dreams."

The old woman knew the Headmaster was right, but she still left his office troubled.

- o -

One of the first things that Harry and Ron did, as co-captains of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, was schedule tryouts for the positions of Chaser and Beater. Flyers were posted and a great deal of attention was paid to them. But it would be unfair to suggest that the Gryffindor team had two captains, because in reality it had three. During the last game of the previous season, and the numerous scratch games played during the summer, Luna Lovegood had effectively become the leader of that critical group. She had a natural ability for Chaser tactics, far better than either Harry or Ron; and a remarkable gift for designing new and effective plays. So Harry was delighted to turn responsibility for the Chasers over to her.

Freda signed up for Chaser, of course; and those who had seen her fly thought that she definitely had the inside track. But the team captains were absolutely determined that all the applicants would be given a fair chance to show what they could do. Of the students to sign up for the Beater position, one was the new transfer student: Eric Van Meer. On the appointed day they all showed up at the Quidditch Pitch, which Harry had booked for afternoon tryouts.

The tryout for the Chaser position came first, as each applicant was given the Quaffle and told to make a run at the goal, where Ron Weasley was waiting. Luna was rather uncomfortable about being put in the position of selecting her cousin over the other applicants, so she asked Harry and Ron to please make the decision. As it turned out, no decision had to be made. Freda flew towards the goal, Quaffle in hand, and executed a series of dazzling maneuvers that even impressed Ron and Harry. Andrew McDonnell, the new Slytherin Prefect, was in the stands cheering her on. She failed to score a goal, but Ron had to really move fast to stop the Quaffle. The other applicants, seeing that the young girl was far better than they, graciously bowed out of the competition in her favor.

And then it was the tryout for the Beater, for which there were three applicants. Harry had set up a number of wooden targets around the pitch. The applicants were instructed to fly around the pitch and deflect the Blodgers that would be directed at them, hitting the targets if possible. The first two candidates managed to deflect all the Blodgers, but could only hit the targets twice. But the new boy, Eric Van Meer, deflected all ten Blodgers directed at him, and hit the targets dead center every time. Then three Blodgers were hit at him simultaneously from different directions. He succeeded in redirecting all three at the same target with pin-point accuracy. There was no question on the best candidate, and Eric was welcomed to the team.

- o -

A week after the start of school Professor McGonagall came over to the Gryffindor table to talk to Harry and his friends. They were all rather surprised to see their usually severe Transfigurations teacher displaying a rare smile.

"Good morning." She started, in a greeting that Harry might almost describe as chipper. "Are you enjoying your classes this year?"

"Yes, Professor we are." Harry responded, glancing at the others. "But we seem to have quite a bit of unscheduled time."

"Very observant of you, Mr. Potter." Professor McGonagall said with a slight smile. "Professor Dumbledore would like to speak to all of you about that very matter after you finish breakfast. If you will all come to the Headmaster's office at 8:00 he will make all the explanations necessary."

"But what about our first class?" Hermione asked with some concern.

"You are all excused from your first class this morning; I will see that you receive all of your assignments. Are there any more questions? No? Then I'll see all of you in the Headmaster's office at eight." And with that she briskly turned and walked up to the Teacher's table, where Professor Dumbledore was waiting for her. They exchanged a few quick words, and then sat down to their own breakfasts.

"Well what do you make of all that?" Ron asked.

"I guess we'll find out after breakfast," Luna replied, nibbling on a piece of toast.

An hour later all of them were seated in Professor Dumbledore's office. In addition to the Headmaster, Professor McGonagall was also present.

"I'm glad you could all join me this morning. Some things have occurred over the last few days that have crystallized ideas that I have had for some time now. I'm sure Harry doesn't mind missing Potions class this morning." Professor Dumbledore said with a smile.

Harry looked a bit sheepish and then answered, "No, not terribly."

"Have any of you given any thought to what you want to do when you leave Hogwarts?" Professor Dumbledore asked with no prologue.

There was silence for a moment, and then because no one else seemed willing to volunteer, Hermione took the initiative and spoke up. "I had thought I might want to be a teacher. I felt that I was really accomplishing a lot with our tutoring last term, and I really enjoyed the experience." To this statement Professor Dumbledore nodded in understanding.

"I want to try for a career in professional Quidditch." Ron said with determination. "Sean Merkin, the Keeper for the Chudley Cannons, is going to be retiring next year." And then, as he glanced slyly at Harry and Luna, he added, "People that I trust have suggested that I have a good chance of becoming their new Keeper." None of the teachers failed to notice the smiles that the six teens exchanged at that remark.

"I just want to have babies and stay at home and raise them," Ginny Weasley said with a bit of a blush. Harry and Neville confessed that they really didn't know what they wanted to do with their lives.

"Weren't you interested in becoming an Auror, Harry?" Professor McGonagall asked tentatively.

"Yes, I was considering it. But that was before I realized how I felt about Luna. Now I just want to settle down and have a family of my own. I want to be the kind of father mine would have been, if he had been given the chance. I don't think a career as an Auror would fit in with that."

Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore exchanged glances. "I think you would make a very good father, Harry." Minerva said somberly.

"I hope so." Harry answered, a little uncertain about the tone of her voice.

"Well, perhaps I can make some career suggestions that might interest you." Professor Dumbledore said, trying to lift the suddenly somber mood. "Last week Arthur Weasley, as the Minister of Magic, offered our own Professor Lupin the post of Ambassador to Non-Human Races. In our world that is a very important position, because the Ambassador coordinates our relations with the Goblins, Elves and a number of other important races. It's a wonderful opportunity for Professor Lupin, and after some consideration he agreed to accept it. But he has requested the Ministry to allow him to complete this term of teaching, and train his replacement.

Harry, have you ever given any thought to teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts? You proved last term that you have a natural gift for teaching."

Harry was caught completely by surprise. This was the very last thing he expected the Headmaster to say when he entered his office.

"I myself am planning to retire at the end of this term to pursue a number of projects of my own." The Headmaster continued. "Professor McGonagall will be taking over my position, and will become Headmistress of the school. She informs me, Miss Granger, that you are the finest student that she has ever taught, and possess a special gift for the art of Transfiguration. We would be honored if you would consider taking over as instructor once the term ends."

Hermione was now just as shocked as Harry was, and for once in her life was completely at a loss for words.

"Mr. Longbottom, Madam Sprout is getting along in years, and is also planning on retirement at the end of this term. She has recommended you as a perfect replacement for her, and I hope you will consider it."

And finally, Miss Lovegood. I understand about the special family trust that you have at home, but I thought perhaps you might consider a part time position teaching ancient Runes. Considering the importance of the subject, and great number of Rune dialects that must be covered, I feel that we are in need of a second teacher to help with the workload. It would be a part-time position that would allow you the time needed for your special responsibilities at home.

Harry was the first to speak, a note of sadness evident in his voice. "I'm sorry, Professor, but I will have to decline your offer. Luna and I want to raise a family. I need to find a career which will allow me to return home each day to help raise our children. I can't teach at Hogwarts full time and still be a good parent." Luna reached over and gave Harry's hand a gentle squeeze; she knew he wanted to teach, but she also knew that he wanted to be a good father even more.

"Thank you, Harry. Your words do you great credit. However you may not know that Hogwarts teachers are not required to stay at the school overnight. Only Head of Houses are required to live in the castle; most other teachers floo in before their morning class and floo home in the afternoon."

"But I thought…"

"But that's wonderful, Harry." Luna interrupted. "That means you can teach during the day and return home to me and our children in the afternoon."

"Generally, we select professors with more years of experience to be the head of the various houses. All three of you will be free to floo home when your classes are finished for the day." Professor Dumbledore said.

A smile broke out on Harry's face. "Then I accept, Professor. And thank you." Neville and Hermione then accepted as well.

"Excellent! I'll make arrangement for you to meet with your mentor teachers as soon as possible to discuss the details. Initially, you'll be spending your free periods assisting them with their classes, and they will gradually turn over more of the teaching responsibilities to you as you are ready to handle them. We want you to get as much teaching experience as possible. By the end of the term, if not sooner, we want each of you to be doing all of the teaching during your free periods."

As they left the office they all talked excitedly about their new and exciting futures; none of them seeing the looks of sadness on the faces of the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall.

After the teens had left, Professor McGonagall sagged down into her chair in tears. "Did you hear him, Albus? Harry wants to be a father. He wants the chance to give his children the love that he never had; and you and I know he'll never have the chance."

"We don't know that, Minerva. We don't know how much time they have. They may have time to bring children of their own into the world….I hope they do." The old man said sadly.

"And what becomes of their children? What kind of a world will they have?" Minerva McGonagall asked bitterly. "Will we give them to the Durseys to be raised like Harry was, to be beaten and kicked like a dog?"

"NO!" The old man answered fiercely. "I swear by everything I hold sacred that their children will never experience what their parents had to suffer. I'll see to it that they are raised with care and compassion, by people who will love them as their own. And when those children are old enough, I'll see to it that they know who their parents were, and the sacrifice that they made for them."

"But don't we owe them the truth, Albus?" She asked sadly.

"No, Minerva, we owe them their dreams. Sometimes a dream is all you can have. I want them to have their dream; I want it to be real for them."

- o -

In the days and weeks that followed, Harry and Luna shared many dreams. Dreams of their future and dreams of their family. Were they true visions, who could say? The two teens really didn't know; but they chose to believe, because they wanted to believe.

In their dreams, Harry and Luna saw their children born, grow into happy boys and girls, become teenagers, and finally to marry and have children of their own. They were present that happy Christmas Eve when 6-year old Ronnie Weasley kissed Lizzie Potter on the cheek, and she had turned beet red, but had smiled happily. They saw their son Jamie fly a broom for the first time at 9-years old; and would always remember the look of pure joy on his face. Luna's favorite dream was sitting in the stands watching 12-year old Lizzie catch her first Snitch for the win against a tough Ravenclaw team; and to see the Gryffindor Keeper, Ron Weasley Jr. fly across the pitch and kiss her in front of the whole crowd. For Harry, the best dream took place in the Rain Cave, when his new-born granddaughter was first placed in his arms, and she had the same silver eyes and blond hair as her grandmother.

Luna always shared her dreams with her friend Minerva. And the older woman would always encourage the young girl in her belief that they were true visions of a happy future; but secretly the old woman's heart was breaking. But Professor Dumbledore was right; she would let these two children steal what happiness they could from their dreams. And so the old woman smiled and laughed with the young girl, and then she went to her rooms and cried.


	16. New Challenges

**Disclaimer:** The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **My special thanks to _John Adams _for her friendship and help in beta reading this story, and for keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for her many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been.

**CHAPTER 16: NEW CHALLENGES**

But it would be wrong to assume that all Harry and Luna did was dream, because as September turned to October, their workload at school steadily increased. As seventh-year students, preparing to take their N.E.W.Ts in the spring, they received more homework than ever before. But more than this, all six of them had to spend two nights a week in advanced defensive and offensive weapons training; for although Voldemort might have suffered a defeat, they were all certain that he would return. They also had to prepare for their teaching assignments; and this involved spending a great deal of time in the library developing lesson plans, study guides, and all other materials that well prepared teachers were expected to have. Fortunately, in this last requirement, they had ample help. Their mentor teachers made themselves available for regular conferences, Ron and Ginny worked hard to help their friends wherever possible, and Hermione's gift for organization proved a real asset.

Much had changed over the past year, but the hostile attitude of Professor Snape towards Harry Potter definitely had not. And now that Luna Lovegood had become a Gryffindor, and her special relationship with Harry had become known to the whole school, she too had come in for a share of Snape's abuse. The fact that together they had defeated the Dark Lord only seemed to further annoy Professor Snape; convincing him that Luna Lovegood, like Harry Potter, was nothing but a showoff.

Severus Snape lost no time in showing his distain for Harry Potter, and by association for Luna Lovegood, when in the very first session of their Advanced Potions class he took away house points without any justification at all. All of the students were at their tables as Professor Snape swept into the classroom, his black robes billowing out behind him. Reaching the front of the room, he turned to face the class with an ugly scowl.

"Mr. Potter! I expect your complete attention. If you and your little girlfriend can't stop whispering, I will separate you two. Ten points from Gryffindor!" It didn't matter a bit that Harry and Luna weren't whispering; Professor Snape wanted to make it clear that his feelings toward the teen hadn't changed in the least.

However, what did unnerve the Potions Master was the stony silence which greeted his remarks. In the past Harry would have disputed the ruling, allowing Snape to add a detention to the points already lost. But to the Potion Master's surprise, the young man seemed to have no reaction at all. He didn't realize that Luna was holding Harry's hand underneath the table; and her very touch had a calming effect on him. But for Professor Snape, the reaction of the Slytherin students was far more troubling. In past years, verbal cuts against Harry Potter would always bring waves of laughter from the Slytherins present; but this time they were absolutely silent, and actually looked rather angry. Professor Snape hastily began the lesson, sensing that this was perhaps a matter which should not be pressed.

A few weeks later the four teens were invited to attend their first Hogwarts faculty meeting. It was going to be held in the same small conference room where Harry was taken in his fourth year, with the other Tri-Wizard Champions. A large oak table stood in the center of the room, and the teachers took their seats around it. The four teens, feeling rather self-conscious, took seats near the end of the table.

When Professor Snape entered the room he looked at the four young people with obvious distaste. He took his seat as far away from the four students as he could get, and glared at them at the other end of the table. Then in a rather loud and snide voice he said to Professor McGonagall, "Don't you think it rather inappropriate that we should have children attend this faculty meeting?"

Harry could feel his temper rising, but he controlled himself and said nothing. Professor McGonagall, on the other hand, did have something to say. "There's only one child that I can see at this table, Severus" she said menacingly. "The rest of us are teachers and soon-to-be-teachers; and you had better get used to that idea, Professor."

Professor Snape gave her an unpleasant look, but said nothing more. He knew well that Professor McGonagall was going to be the new Headmistress of Hogwarts, and that she too had a temper.

When Professor Dumbledore entered the room a short time later it seemed that he already knew what had been said. He looked at Severus Snape rather severely over his half-moon shaped glasses, until the Potions Master was forced to look away. Then he welcomed all of them to the meeting, with a special acknowledgement to the school's four newest teachers.

- o -

Luna's influence had brought a balance to Harry's life, so along with the work he also allowed himself time for play. This was their last year at Hogwarts, and he intended to make it a memorable one; and a big part of that was Quidditch.

The previous year the Gryffindor Quidditch team was unique in that it actually seemed to have two captains: Harry Potter for leadership and Ron Weasley for strategy and tactics. Harry had early on recognized that Ron had a gift for strategy that he lacked; and although Harry was the official captain, they actually shared the responsibilities.

In the new school year, the leadership responsibilities of the Gryffindor team seemed to be stranger still, for now it seemed that there were actually three captains. During the previous year, Luna Lovegood had demonstrated a remarkable ability to develop plays and tactics which were uniquely suited to the Chaser position. In the new year she had taken over the training and play planning for the Chasers; and she, Ginny Weasley and Freda Shaw made a very tight group. They trained on plays that had never been seen in Quidditch before, either at the school level or professionally, and they eagerly looked forward to the first contest of the season against a resurrected Slytherin team.

Mallick was also looking forward to this first game. Harry had instituted a tough series of practice sessions that brought back fond memories of his days at Durmstrang, and had brought the team to a level of razor sharpness. The Gryffindor team was better than any team Mallick had ever played with, and that was saying something.

The day finally came for the contest against Slytherin, and as he changed into his team robes, Mallick was really looking forward to a good, brutal Quidditch match.

But then something happened that Mallick didn't expect. Harry Potter gathered the whole team together, and as a group they walked over to the Slytherin dressing rooms to wish their opponents the best of luck. The old animosities against Slytherin had disappeared, and this year their match was to be a friendly house rivalry. Those members of Slytherin house who had been sympathetic to Voldemort had been arrested, transferred to schools on the Continent, or had dropped out in favor of home schooling. Now there was solid anti-Voldemort sentiment in all the houses. While Mallick found such sentimentality personally distasteful, he played along and wished the opposing team well; wondering secretly how many of them he would put in hospital before the game was over.

When he flew onto the pitch, with the rest of the Gryffindor team, Mallick felt like he was a teenager again. The first Blodger that came his way he whacked directly at the Slytherin Captain, nearly knocking him off his broom. Harry shot down from his position high above and rescued the other captain, who was hanging precariously from his broom. As the crowd cheered loudly, he flew over to Mallick, a serious look on his face.

"Be careful, Eric. We don't want anyone to get hurt. Take it easy." He said earnestly.

Mallick didn't understand what kind of Quidditch they were playing, and was about to reply when he saw that both teams were watching him closely; and they didn't look happy. No, it was better to keep quiet and maintain his cover; he would play by their rules and not risk his access to Harry Potter.

The Slytherin team was most definitely the underdog in the contest, and no one gave them much chance at all. But they stubbornly fought back from the very beginning, and quickly won the respect of their opponents and the crowd. As underdogs they realized that they couldn't play it safe, and they launched a very aggressive assault. But unlike past years, it was a very clean game, with no penalties against either team. Soon the superiority of the Gryffindor team began to tell, as the score rose quickly to 100 to 0, solely on the efforts of the Gryffindor Chasers. Harry hunted for the Snitch desperately; wanting to end the game before the score became too lopsided. This desire was shared by every player on the Gryffindor side; even Mallick had come to respect the courage that the Slitherin team had shown, and no one desired to see them humiliated further.

But then something rather remarkable happened. Andrew McDonnell stole the Quaffle from Ginny Weasley, and with the other Slytherin Chasers began to work it down the pitch. Cheers rang out from the Slytherin seats as their Chasers neared the Gryffindor goal. Andrew flew towards the lower hoop, the Quaffle held tightly in his arms. Ron Weasley flew down to intercept him, and then at the last possible second Andrew threw the Quaffle up and over his left shoulder to Mildred Hoople, who was flying above and behind him. Without even catching the Quaffle she batted it forward and through the top hoop. It was an extremely daring and risky maneuver, but it paid off for them. The stands went wild, and cheers rang out from all four houses for the courageous team that refused to give up.

A few seconds later Harry saw the Snitch down low to the ground and went into a power dive, scooping it up just inches off the grass, and the game was over. The final score was 250 to 10; but all the school could talk about was the single goal that the Slytherin Chasers had scored. They had played a hard game and a fair game; and in the end they had succeeded in gaining the respect of everyone.

- o -

Mallick found his return to school to be a more pleasurable experience than he had expected. He knew he would enjoy playing Quidditch again, but he also found that he actually enjoyed many of the classes he attended; finding them superior to the same class he had attended at Durmstrang. His long years of experience had served him well, and he had no difficulty in far exceeding the expectations of his instructors. The one class that did disappoint him was Defense Against the Dark Arts. He felt it was sadly inferior to the classes taught at Durmstrang, as there was hardly any instruction in the dark arts at all. He wondered how the teachers could ever expect their students to get through life without at least a little dark magic. But then, that was not his concern.

It was an easy matter for Mallick to single out Voldemort's sole remaining supporter at the school. She was Mandy Brocklehurst, a seventh-year Ravenclaw student who spent every spare moment spying on Harry and his friends. The girl had a reputation for being arrogant and vindictive, and was probably drawn into Voldemort's camp by its elitist, pure-blood mentality. Mallick realized that she was gathering intelligence, which she would then send on to Voldemort; but he was appalled by the clumsy way in which she did it. He regarded himself as a professional, and this vindictive young woman was anything but. Therefore, he took some degree of pleasure in throwing up unseen barriers in Mandy's way. After all, they were rivals in this game, and he saw no reason why he should make it easy for her.

Once, when Mandy was following Harry and Luna down the stairs, Mallick hit her with a tripping spell, and she fell violently forward. He thought it rather ironic that it was Harry Potter who cast the spell that prevented her from falling all the way down. Nonetheless, she did have to spend a night in the hospital; but that didn't bother Mallick. If she was going to play this game she had better learn that it was a rough one.

One of his favorite classes turned out to be Potions, because at least Professor Snape reminded him of his teachers at Durmstrang. However, he regarded Snape as far too soft. When he was in school, if a student failed to perform he would likely receive a touch of the lash. The loss of House points meant less than nothing to him, 'what kind of pain is that,' he thought. The young Gryffindor soon became the top student in Advanced Potions, much to Professor Snape's disgust. At the same time the Potions Master began to wonder where the boy had learned so much about advanced potions at such a young age. Realizing this could be a danger, Mallick deliberately failed the next potions exam by allowing his cauldron to explode halfway through class. Professor Snape took away twenty points from Gryffindor House, and quickly lost interest in the young man.

Mallick also found it rather amusing the extreme lengths that young girls would go to attract his attention, especially Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. Of course he realized that most young women would find his ruggedly handsome, seventeen-year old appearance practically irresistible; as it had so many times in the past. It was an amusing distraction; the greater their efforts to attract him, the less notice he would take of them. Both girls were becoming terribly frustrated.

- o -

The weeks literally flew by, and very soon the four students were to start teaching their own classes. Up until then, they had been demonstrating spells, tutoring individual students, and generally assisting the teachers with their lessons; but in the third week of October they were to be the teachers. It had been decided that they would take over the third-year classes in their respective fields, and do all the instruction until the end of term. This required that their own class schedules would have to be modified, but this was accomplished without too much difficulty. Almost every evening the six teens would meet in the Room of Requirement to finish their homework and work on their lesson plans.

Harry was delighted when he learned that he would be taking over the third-year classes. It covered material that Harry remembered very clearly from his own third-year, and was the kind of material that he knew his students would find interesting, and could also have some fun with. Third-year students in Defense Against the Dark Arts learned about the dangerous dark creatures that inhabited the magical world, and how to deal with them. Care of Magical Creatures dealt with the more benevolent creatures such as Unicorns and Hippogriffs.

One evening, as Harry and Luna were leaving the castle for a sunset walk around the lake, which had become a nightly custom for them, they met a smiling Professor Lupin.

"What are your plans for this Saturday, Harry?" He asked casually.

"If Luna and I can finish our homework we were thinking of a picnic in the forest."

Lupin shook his head with a smirk, "The Head Boy and Head Girl going on a picnic in the Forbidden Forest? Shocking!"

"Oh yeah, like you never did." Harry responded with a smirk of his own.

"Totally different." Lupin replied in a mock defense. "Well if you and your fair lady can set aside your extracurricular activities for this weekend, I have an outing in mind that might interest both of you."

Seeing that he had aroused their interest, Professor Lupin continued. "Seeing as how you are going to be teaching our third-year students about some of the less pleasant magical creatures of our world, I thought we might floo to Diagon Alley and see what specimens might be available for class study; and you can prepare your lesson plans accordingly."

Both teens were thrilled with the prospect of an outing to Diagon Alley. Harry knew he would have to learn where such study specimens could be obtained, and Luna's love for strange and rare animals had become an interest for him as well. Both teens eagerly looked forward to the coming weekend.

Early Saturday morning they left the school grounds and Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron, where Professor Lupin treated them to breakfast; and then they entered Diagon Alley. As they walked down the narrow alley, looking in all the shop windows, Harry was reminded of his first visit six years earlier. He remembered how overwhelmed he had been with everything he saw and heard; but most of all by the knowledge that he was actually a wizard. It was a pleasant memory for Harry, and as he felt Luna slip her small hand into his, he felt completely at peace.

But the peace was short lived, as Professor Lupin led them down a side street and into Knockturn Alley. Harry looked around nervously, and carefully watched the dark clad figures moving in and out of the shadows. He held Luna's hand protectively as they moved along; but for her part, Luna seemed more interested than frightened.

"Not exactly the most reputable place," Professor Lupin said with a smirk, "but as Dark Arts teacher you'll be surprised how often you need to come here. It's a resource you'll need to know about; but you also need to be careful"

As they walked along the dreary alley, Harry noticed a distinctly difference type of shopper from the ones that frequented Diagon Alley. These people had a hard and cruel look about them, and they turned away if you gazed in their direction; as if afraid that someone might recognize them. The alley itself was dark and dirty, and had a distinct look of decay. The shops were old and poorly kept, and few had signs to identify them; the owners likely working under the assumption that if the customer didn't know the kind of wares that were sold there, he had better stay out. Professor Lupin stopped in front of a large, dilapidated wreck of a building that seemed to be leaning dangerously to one side; a faded sign in front carried the name of "Poochkin's Menagerie."

"This is the place," Professor Lupin said, and led them up the rickety steps. He opened the door for Harry and Luna, and followed them into the dimly lit interior. They were almost immediately greeted by the deafening uproar of hundreds of animals who began howling, and whooping, and shrieking, and screaming, and generally causing an unearthly racket. But before Harry could even think of what he should do, the entire shop fell silent. Looking around he saw hundreds of cages of all shapes and sizes, containing strange creatures of every possible description.

Lupin led them towards an ancient wooden counter, and Harry realized for the first time that there was someone else in the shop. An ancient hag, with long, scraggly grey hair and a pock-marked face, came out from behind the counter to greet them.

"Remus, it's been far too long since your last visit," the old woman said in a croaking voice. "And you've brought me new visitors." She said, looking at Harry and Luna expectantly. Harry thought the old woman looked every bit the part of the "wicked witch" that he remembered from the stories of his childhood; and his fingers tightened on the wand inside his robes. But Luna immediately stepped forward and extended her hand.

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Ma'am." Luna said with a smile.

"Why aren't you just a darling," the old woman said with a crooked smile.

"Luna, this is Madam Poochkin." Lupin said, amused by the look of trepidation evident on Harry's face. "She's an old friend of mine, and not at all as scary as she looks. Agathia." he said, addressing the old woman. "These are my very good friends, Miss Luna Lovegood and Mr. Harry Potter."

"I'm honored to meet you both." The old woman said, taking Luna's hand. And in a voice that was now less intimidating she added, "I've read much about both of you in recent months."

"Harry is going to be taking over the third-year Defense Against the Dark Arts class this month, and I wanted him to meet you and see some of the specimens that you can supply him with." Lupin said.

"Won't you please step into my parlor and we can have a cup of tea and discuss Mr. Potter's needs." The old woman said smiling, as she gestured to a door at the far end of the shop.

Harry distinctly remembered the old saying about the spider inviting the fly into its parlor and hesitated a bit, but Luna took his hand and helped him along. As the old woman was about to close the door behind them, she said to the animals, "Watch the shop, children." Immediately the sounds of hundreds of animals filled the shop again.

But the minute the door closed there was silence again. Seeing the questioning look on Harry's face she explained. "Silencing charm. When someone enters the shop I just seem to sense it; I've been around animals all my life."

The explanation seemed to satisfy Harry, and he relaxed enough to glance around the parlor; which he found to be surprisingly warm and cozy. As the old woman prepared the tea and biscuits, she and Remus chatted about their previous meetings. Apparently the two had known each other for many years, and Harry was finally put at his ease.

They all enjoyed an excellent tea, and found Agathia Poochkin remarkably knowledgeable on all things related to strange and magical creatures. The old woman freely shared her vast knowledge with the young man, suggesting a variety of interesting creatures that would fit in well with the Dark Arts curriculum.

After tea she led her three guests upstairs, to where she kept the more unusual of her specimens. They followed her into a room that was at least as large as the shop area downstairs. It was well lit and very well organized, with cages lining one wall and tanks lining the other. Down the center of the room was a long oak table upon which a number of brass-bound chests were placed.

Harry, Luna and Professor Lupin began to walk along the line of tanks first, which obviously contained strange and potentially dangerous marine creatures. On the right side of each tank there was a small brass plaque which gave the name of the creature, its background, and the place of its capture.

"Look Harry, a Grindylow!" Luna exclaimed, running ahead a few tanks. "I'm sure your class would find this interesting."

Harry regarded the small, horned, sickly-green colored water demon warily. It had long fingers, sharp, pointed fangs and an evil expression. He remembered his own experience with Grindylows in the Tri-Wizard Competition during his fourth year at Hogwards. He was in the lake for the Second Trial when three of the creatures grabbed him and tried to drag him down. The memory still sent a shiver down his spine, but he had to admit that it would make an interesting specimen for class.

"Would you tag this one please," he said, addressing the old woman.

"A very good choice, Mr. Potter. Grindylows are an excellent example of a dark marine creature." the old woman responded, as she began to make out the tag.

As they neared the end of the row of tanks, Harry noticed that the glass tanks no longer contained water, but contained creatures that appeared to be composed of mist.

"Are these ghosts?" Harry asked curiously.

"No, they are atmospheric creatures. If I kept them in cages they would simply dissolve through the bars, and so I keep them in these specially charmed tanks."

Harry noticed that from one of the tanks emanated a beautiful gold, pink and blue light. Looking at the creature through the glass, all Harry could see was the beautifully colored lights. Glancing down at the brass plate he read: "Will o'the Wisp. Also known as Fairy Light."

"This one seems too pretty to be dangerous." He said in admiration.

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" The old woman responded. "But these creatures like to lead unwary travelers into swamps and other dangerous places. From a distance they look like a lantern light, and people have followed them until they were completely lost."

"Would you tag this one too, please?" Harry said, thinking about what an interesting lesson he could develop around it.

As they started back along the opposite side, Harry noticed that one of the cages was covered with a dark-colored tarp.

"What's in this one?" he asked out of curiosity.

"That's a Boggart." The old woman replied. "There's no point in confronting shoppers with their worst fear; it tends to put them off."

Harry remembered his own experiences with a Boggart quite well. "Yes, I'd like this as well, please."

At that moment a puff of smoke shot from of one of the end cages, attracting Harry's attention. Looking inside the cage, Harry saw an ugly green creature that resembled a cross between a snake and a dragon. It had a long muscular body, short stumpy limbs and nasty jagged teeth. Its body was covered with hard, studded scales that looked like armor plates. The creature appeared to have a mean disposition, and breathed out another puff of smoke in Harry's direction.

"What is this?" he asked in something approaching awe.

"That's a Snollygoster," replied Luna promptly. "It's a breed of Knucker. You know, a Pigmy Swamp Dragon. They're not very nice." Luna said, pulling Harry back from the cage a bit.

But Harry thought the Snollygoster was a fascinating creature, albeit one he would have to be careful with; and believed his students would think so as well. In the end, Harry had selected six dark creatures for his class; also tagging a Spriggan and a Bacca. The Spriggan came from Wales, and had the appearance of an ugly, stunted dwarf. It lived in the mountains, and led travelers into dangerous places. The Bacca was a goblin-like creature from Cornwall, which had a particularly mischievous reputation, but was well behaved as long as it was fed regularly.

The old woman explained that Harry could send word to her when he needed each specimen, and it would be delivered in time for his class. When he was finished the creature would be picked up and returned to Knockturn Alley. Considering the quality of the specimens and the information provided, Harry considered her rates extremely reasonably and readily agreed to her terms.

As they prepared to leave Harry had completely lost his fear of the old woman, and had quite enjoyed his visit with her. She made it clear that they were welcome at any time, and that if she acquired anything that might be of interest she would owl him at Hogwarts. He resolved to return soon and see what other interesting creatures she might have that he could use.

When they returned to Diagon Alley, Professor Lupin suggested that they stop at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor for one of their famous triple-chocolate ice cream sundaes. Both teens were delighted with the prospect, and so they walked over to the nearby shop. While Professor Lupin went to get the ice cream, Harry and Luna went to find a table. They selected one a little distance from the main dining area, where they could talk in private.

On the walk over Harry had been thinking about how he would use the dark creatures in his lessons. It was clear that the Knucker and Grindylow would fall near the end of the class; otherwise their fearsome appearance might frighten some of the young children. Harry decided to build up to them slowly. Just as in his own third-year, Harry decided to start with the Boggart. He felt that it was important to teach his students to face their fears, and he thought he could make it a fun experience as well.

As he was thinking, he glanced over at Luna. He considered her one of the bravest people he had ever known; she possessed an inner strength and courage that would allow her to face anything. He wondered what she could have possibly seen when she faced a Boggart in her third year.

"Luna, can I ask you something?" He began tentatively. Her warm smile reassured him that he could ask her anything in the world. "In your third-year, when you faced your Boggart, what did you see?"

Harry was surprised to see Luna looking rather sad at the question. She looked down at the table, her long dirty-blonde hair falling forward to hide her face, and she was quiet for several seconds.

"I'm sorry, Luna. I didn't mean to…"

"No, Harry. It's alright," she said, interrupting him. "I saw an old woman….An old woman who was all alone and friendless. She had long gray hair and…and silver eyes." Luna said sadly, still looking down at the table.

Harry reached over and took her hand, saddened by what he had heard. "It was you, Luna. You saw yourself grown old and alone, didn't you?"

"Yes," she replied, in almost a whisper.

Harry wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap. "You're never going to be that old woman; you know that, don't you? You and I are always going to be together." And saying this, Harry gently pulled the hair away from Luna's face, and tenderly kissed her.

Looking up into his emerald eyes she smiled slightly. "I know that, Harry. That's all in the past, just a bad memory. I'm not afraid of becoming that old woman anymore."

"Only good memories for you and me from now on." Harry said softly, and pulled her into a deeper kiss.

"Ah Hum," someone said, clearing their throat behind the two teens. They reluctantly pulled apart and saw Professor Lupin standing beside the table holding a tray of ice cream, a wide smile on his face.

"So sorry to interrupt," he said jokingly, "but I….Wait, did you see that?" He said in a voice of panic, as he pointed behind them.

"What!?" Harry asked, apprehension evident in his voice.

"A photographer for the Daily Prophet was taking pictures of you and Luna!"

"What!" Harry shouted, and spun around so fast that he fell out of his chair and onto the ground. Luna started to laugh uncontrollably, pointing at the hero of the wizarding world as he sat on the ground. She was laughing so hard that she had to hold onto the table to keep from falling herself. Harry looked up and saw that his old Dark Arts teacher was grinning from ear to ear. "Got you, Harry," he said; causing Luna to laugh even harder.

"I'll get you for that, Professor" Harry responded, now grinning himself. He realized there was no photographer, and that Remus Lupin still had what it took to pull a good prank.

- o -

When Harry entered the defense classroom for the first time as the teacher, he was quite surprised to see a rather large pudding floating above his desk. His students were all seated in their places, wide grins on their faces as he warily approached the pudding.

"What is this all about?" Harry asked.

One young Gryffindor girl stood and spoke up, "Miss Lovegood and Miss Granger brought it in a few minutes ago. They said to ask you to read the card."

Harry thought it strange to have other students speak of Luna and Hermione with such formality, since they were still students themselves; but he guessed that it just went along with being a teacher. At least now he understood why Ron had asked him all those meaningless questions in the hallway. He realized that he was being stalled so Luna and Hermione could set this up. He picked up the card on his desk and read it, starting to chuckle as he did so. The card read: "Just remember that no matter what happens you've had worse disasters than this!" He remembered with a smile how Dobby had dropped his Aunt's pudding just before his second year, and how he got the blame for it.

Harry waved his wand and the pudding floated over to a nearby table. "We can have some of that when we finish our lesson. But first, which of you can tell me what a Boggart is?" He asked, placing a hand on the brass-bound cabinet that stood next to him.

Immediately several hands went up. This class was a mixed group of Slytherins and Gryffindors, and Harry was determined that he would not show anything that even looked like favoritism. "Mandy," he called out, selecting a young, dark-haired Slytherin girl who was sitting in the front row.

"A Boggart is a shape-shifter. It will take on the appearance of that thing that a person fears most."

"Excellent, Mandy! Five points to Slytherin." Harry responded. "Now can anyone tell me how to get rid of a Boggart?"

A Gryffindor boy waved his hand frantically. "William," Harry said, calling on the boy.

"You have to laugh at it," he boy responded tentatively. The brown-haired girl sitting next to him immediately shot her hand up into the air.

"Yes, Katie?" Harry said, calling on the eager child.

"First, you have to think of a way to make it funny, and then cast a charm to make it change its appearance," the girl said proudly. Harry thought about how much the girl reminded him of Hermione at that age.

"Both of you are right. And do you know what the charm is, Katie?"

"It's Riddikulus!" she declared.

"Correct! Five points to Gryffindor. But the charm has to be cast with a great deal of force of mind, otherwise it won't work. Now everyone say after me: 'Riddikulus!'".

"Riddikulus." The class repeated.

"That's good, but with even more force of mind."

"Riddikulus!" They all shouted.

"Excellent, now let me demonstrate." Harry said, taking the wand from his pocket. He waved it at the cabinet and the doors opened. At first all the class could see was a formless gray shape, which was the Boggart's natural appearance. But as soon as Harry stepped in front of it, the Boggart began to change, and soon a Dementor emerged from the cabinet and into the classroom. The students gasped and shrank back in horror from the terrible creature.

But Harry stood his ground and, aiming his wand at the Dementor, called out "Riddikulus!" There was a sharp, whip-like crack and the Dementor changed into a circus clown, complete with fright-wig and a large red nose. It's black, torn rags had changed into a bright clown suit, covered with large red and blue polka dots. The class began to laugh as it stumbled around the room using feet that were much too big.

"Now that's not very frightening, is it?" And then with a swish of his wand he sent the Boggart back into the cabinet, and the doors slammed shut. "Now if we had wanted to be completely rid of him, all we would have to do is give him a good loud 'Ha!' and they explode. But this Boggart belongs to a friend of mind, so we'll just practice with him."

"Now who would like to be the first to try?" Harry asked, looking out over the now excited students. Katie, the little girl who had been so ready with the answer earlier, shot her hand up into the air.

"Ah, Katie, I can see you were well placed in Gryffindor House. Would you step up here please?"

The little girl got up from her seat and walked up to the front. "Now get your wand ready," Harry counseled gently, "and remember that the charm is 'Riddikulus….Ready?"

When she nodded her head Harry opened the cabinet doors. For a second the circus clown just stood there, and then with a crack it turned into an ugly black spider. The little girl shuddered for a moment, but then aimed her wand and shouted, "Riddikulus!" The spider immediately changed into a blue and yellow ball that bounced around the floor harmlessly.

"Excellent, Katie." Harry said congratulating the young girl, and then he bounced the ball back into the cabinet.

"Now if you'll line up in front of the cabinet, you can all have a try." After they had all successfully faced the Boggart, and there was still a little time left in class, Harry transformed some bowls and spoons and they all shared the pudding. Harry's first class had turned out to be an outstanding success.

- o -

Luna was also well prepared for her own first teaching assignment. Though she loved the study of runes for their own rewards, she had to admit that the subject was less than exciting for most students. This was a sad fact that she was determined to change, and she intended to start the transformation with her very first class. As could be expected from someone like Luna Lovegood, her teaching plan was unorthodox to say the least. But she took pains to clear her lesson plan with her mentor-teacher and Professor Dumbledore; for she knew that she would need their support for such a unique approach to teaching the subject. She was pleased and surprised when they both expressed their full support.

Third year students in Ancient Runes studied the rune texts of Scandinavia, specifically those of the Vikings and Goths. Scandinavian runes had always held a special appeal to Luna, and now she intended to convey that passion to her students. She had always loved the Rune Puzzle that was included in every issue of her father's newspaper, the Quibbler; and she had in fact created several of the puzzles herself. Now she adapted that idea to teaching, and on her first teaching day she presented each of her students with a rune puzzle of their own. Although each puzzle was slightly different, to prevent students from sharing answers, they all had the same objective.

"This is a treasure hunt," she explained to her class. "For the rest of the term I will give you a new puzzle every month, in addition to your regular classroom instruction. The material I teach in class will help you crack that month's puzzle, so those who pay the closest attention will have the best chance of finding the treasure. There will be a total of eight treasures, one for each month remaining in the term; so if you miss finding one you may find another. The clues provided in each puzzle will lead you to the treasure for that month, the first of which is currently hidden somewhere in the castle."

The idea became a resounding success, and rune students concentrated on the subject like never before. At the end of the first month a particularly bright Hufflepuff girl found the first treasure, a large box of Honeyduke Chocolates. Being kind and generous, like most students in her house, she shared the chocolates with the rest of her class. The next month Luna's students studied even harder; and the other teachers began to acknowledge that the unusual approach did seem to be effective. At the end of the year, test scores were showing a significant improvement.

Everyone was happy except Mr. Filch, who saw students wandering through the castle in search of "treasure" as an open invitation to mischief. He went to Professor Dumbledore and asked that Miss Lovegood observe normal teaching etiquette, and restrict instruction to the Runes Classroom. Professor Dumbledore showed Mr. Filch a stack of parchments from parents who said their children had never been so excited about learning, and declared that he had no intention of restricting such a new and effective teaching method. In fact, at the monthly staff meeting, he suggested that the other staff members might take a page out of Miss Lovegood's book, and incorporate some new ideas into their own curriculum. Luna was a bit embarrassed to be singled out for such praise, but rather proud as well.

Hermione and Neville were also quite innovative in the management of their classes, introducing truly unique lessons to both Herbology and Transfiguration classes. Very soon the four student teachers became particular favorites among the student body at Hogwarts. Snape made a rather loud snorting sound at the suggestion, but dared say nothing more. It was clear that Professor Dumbledore was very pleased with their innovative teaching styles and with the significant improvement in test scores.


	17. The Meeting at Maes Howe

**Disclaimer:** The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Author's Note: **My special thanks to _John Adams _for her friendship and help in beta reading this story, and for keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for her many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been.

**Chapter Note: **I have always had a passion for Greek mythology, and so I hope you will excuse some mythological references in this chapter. Laxsor's hawk, Aeolus, is named for the god of the winds. Hepheastus was one of the twelve Olympian Gods; and was the patron of craftsmen, and was a master craftsman himself.

**CHAPTER 17: THE MEETING AT MAES HOWE**

By December, Professor Dumbledore was convinced more than ever that he had made the right choice in his four new teachers. Their unique teaching styles and natural enthusiasm had resulted in a significant improvement in test scores for all four classes that they taught; and the other teachers, with the exception of Professor Snape, were beginning to modify their own teaching methods to reflect a more progressive approach.

Professor Dumbledore was so impressed with the results that he decided to accelerate their training. After discussions with professors McGonagall and Lupin, the Headmaster decided to offer the teens the opportunity to teach the sixth-year class in their respective subjects. He realized that this would represent a heavy workload, but he believed that with the help of the other instructors they could do it. He wished for the four to start their new assignments immediately after the holidays, but that would create certain conflicts that would have to be addressed. The most pressing of these was a time conflict with classes that the students were required to take for their N.E.W.Ts. But, as always, Professor Dumbledore had a plan for addressing these conflicts.

In early December a staff meeting was scheduled with professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, Lupin and the four young people. The sixth-year Ancient Runes and Defense classes, which Harry and Luna were to teach, had a time conflict with Professor Snape's seventh-year Potions class. Likewise, the sixth-year Herbology and Transfiguration classes conflicted with Professor Flitwick's seventh-year Charms class, which both Neville and Hermione attended. The Headmaster's solution was to allow the four teens to take their N.E.W.Ts in those subjects over the holidays, and this would leave the period free in January.

"Do you see any problem preparing Hermione and Neville to take their Charms N.E.W.T. over the holidays?" The headmaster asked Professor Flitwick.

The tiny wizard thought for a moment before answering. "No Albus, both of them are in the top ten percent of my class, and I can find extra time to work with them this month. Both of them will be prepared to pass their N.E.W.T. in Charms by month end."

"And can you have Harry and Luna prepared, Severus?"

"No. I regret to say that both Mister Potter and Miss Lovegood are too deficient to pass their N.E.W.T. exams this month; I even have doubts that Mister Potter will be able to pass at the end of the term." Professor Snape said with a sneer.

Harry felt his anger rising at the Potion Masters words. Both he and Luna were in the top ten percent of their class, in spite of Snape's best efforts to mark them lower. How dare he say such things? But before Harry could speak, Professor Dumbledore signaled him to be silent.

"I quite understand, Severus," the Headmaster began. "Such 'deficient' students would require quite a bit of help to successfully take their exams early. That is why I've just decided to tutor them personally. Unfortunately, the only time that I have available directly conflicts with your class. Therefore, effectively immediately, I am forced to remove them from your seventh-year Potions class. But I can assure you, Severus, that they will pass their N.E.W.T. examination in Potions."

"But you can't, Headmaster." Professor Snape said hastily.

"Not to worry, Severus. If you remember, I'm fully qualified to teach several subjects, including Potions. I have my own laboratory directly above us."

Harry would never forget the look of complete defeat on Professor Snape's face.

And indeed immediately after Christmas the teens did pass their N.E.W.T exams with high scores. And when the holidays ended the four young instructors started teaching their sixth-year classes.

Professor Dumbledore had no illusions about Harry and Luna; he knew that their destiny would soon lead them away from their friends. But in the time they had he believed that they could make a real difference. Prophesies are notoriously vague as far as timing is concerned, and the prophesy of Rowena Ravenclaw was no exception. The old Headmaster hoped that his two favorite students would have the time to leave their mark, and perhaps to bring a child of their own into the world; anyway he was determined to give them the chance.

The Headmaster could never have guessed it, but on that very night the first-born daughter of Harry and Luna was to make a rather important difference herself, in a forest meeting with a very confused dark wizard.

Mallick hadn't forgotten his mission; not during the euphoria of his Quidditch match, nor in the comfortable warmth of the Gryffindor common room. His master had sent him to Hogwarts to learn everything possible about Harry Potter, his strengths and his weaknesses; and that was a mission which he fully intended to complete. He carefully maintained his low profile in Gryffindor house while he watched and evaluated his subjects, for he realized early on that his master's possible adversary was not simply Harry Potter; but also all those who stood with him. As he learned more about the six teens, he began to realize that Voldemort was facing a very difficult task. All this and more did he relay to his master; but he never stopped searching for the possible weakness that might change the balance.

Perhaps the weakness he sought might be found in their dreams, and he didn't hesitate to venture even there. He had already learned that the two teens were sharing visions in their sleep, but he was unable to learn their exact nature. Visions were something that always interested Mallick, and might provide the key that he needed. He was a highly skilled Legilimen in his own right, trained by no less a person than Laxsor himself, so he foresaw no real trouble breaking into the dreams of two teenagers. But in that assumption, he was to be severely disappointed.

He waited until late one night, when Harry's defenses would be the weakest, and attempted to enter the boy's mind. He was not overly surprised to discover a stone wall blocking his entry. This was a standard type of Projection Defense that he had encountered before, and he was sure that his own strong will would quickly tear it down. But he found that as quickly as he tore the wall down, it would rebuild itself even faster. Making no progress at all, he finally gave up in frustration.

The next night he attempted to enter Luna Lovegood's dreams, and in doing so Mallick began one of the strangest adventures of his life. He expected to meet some degree of resistance, but there was none whatsoever. He found himself on a tree-shaded path in a deep green forest. For a moment he thought that it was going to be quite easy, and he started to walk along the trail through the trees. He was confident that at the end of the trail he would find Luna Lovegood and the information he sought. But as the day wore on, and the sun rose higher in the sky, there was simply no end in sight. It was a very pleasant walk; the forest reminding him very much of the woods of southern Germany, where he had played as a child, but he simply wasn't getting anywhere.

Finally, Mallick stopped to rest beside a sparkling blue stream that wound and twisted its way through the woods. It appeared to originate from a small waterfall that he could see a little further up the trail. Resigning himself to the fact that further searching would be futile, he decided to break the connection with Luna's mind and try to access their dreams some other way. He closed his eyes and mentally stepped out of the dream; but when he opened his eyes again the green forest and sparkling stream was still there. He tried again, concentrating his will into breaking the connection; but the result was the same. For the first time he began to feel traces of real concern; could he be trapped in this strange green dream world? Almost desperately he tried one last time to break the charm. He closed his eyes tightly, blocked out the sounds of the stream and forest, and concentrated all his will power at breaking the connection.

"Hello," a soft, high pitched voice said. "Beautiful isn't it?"

Mallick's eyes popped open in shock, and he looked around wildly for the source of the sound.

"I didn't mean to disturb your meditation," the voice of a little girl said apologetically. "This is just such a lovely place; I come here often when I want to think."

He spun around and there, a few meters along the trail, a young girl of about nine years old was sitting on a rock. Quickly gathering what was left of his wits, Mallick responded, "Yes, it's quite lovely. Who are you?"

"I'm Lizzie," the little girl responded absently, playing with a long strand of her sandy colored hair. "My Mum sent me here to keep you company. She's busy right now."

"Your Mum?" Mallick asked, more than a little bit bewildered by the whole experience. "Who is your Mum?"

"Mum is Mum," the little girl responded, as if it was too obvious to require an explanation. But then seeing the look of total confusion on Mallick's face, she smiled and hopping down from her rock she walked over and took his hand. "Maybe you had better sit down, you don't look well."

He didn't really feel too well, so he did sit down on the trunk of a fallen tree that lay by the path. The little girl looked at the log dubiously; and realizing that it was too tall for her to sit down on, she raised her arms up to Mallick. "Help me, please?" She asked sweetly.

He looked at her like this was all some kind of bizarre nightmare, but then he stood up and carefully lifted the little girl up onto the log. Then, resuming his seat, tried to reason the whole thing out. Had he been drawn into some kind of a strange trap? Was someone assaulting his mind, or worse, trying to drive him mad? And who was this strange little girl that looked like a younger version of Luna Lovegood?

Mallick decided that he had better play along and see if he could find a way out of this strange world. "Lizzie, you said that your Mother is busy. What is she doing?" He asked, trying to keep the desperation he was feeling out of his voice.

"Oh, Mum and Daddy are watching my little brother get born." The little girl said, twisting a strand of her hair absently. "So you see it is a bit important….It's a vision you know."

"A vision?" Mallick responded, suddenly quite alert.

"Oh yes," the little girl replied. "Last night they dreamed of my ninth birthday, and I got so many nice things. I got a dolly, and my own cauldron, so I can help Mum, and I got my first wand." A look of slight concern crossed the little girls face. "Don't tell anyone about that, I'm not supposed to get my wand till I go to school. Of course, I have to get born first"

"You're not born yet?" Mallick asked, thinking that he must be loosing his mind.

"No, not yet….I saw a Sorkack over by that rock just yesterday," the little girl responded, changing the subject and pointed over to the side of the trail. "I tried to pet him, but he hopped away." It was clear that Lizzie was becoming rather bored with the course of the conversation.

"Do they ever have dreams about the Dark Lord?" Mallick asked, trying to keep the little girl on topic.

"I don't think so. Is he a friend of yours?"

"No!" Mallick responded, unable to suppress the look of complete disgust evident on his face.

"Would you like to go for a walk, or take a swim?" Lizzie asked hopefully, as she felt she was wasting a perfectly good dream with his silly questions.

"No, I think I had best be getting back. I'll come back later to see your Mother." And then, after a moment's hesitation he asked, "How do I get back?"

"Oh, that's easy. Just close your eyes and say the magic words, 'Crumple Horned Snorkacks,' and then you click your heels together three times"

Mallick thought it rather strange, but this whole experience had been rather strange. He stood up and started to close his eyes, but then opened them again when he remembered that he had forgotten something. "It's been very nice to meet you, Lizzie," he said sincerely, and helped her down from the log. Then he closed his eyes again, and saying the 'magic words' he clicked his heels together three times. It was with great relief that he woke up in his bed at Hogwarts the next morning, and he resolved never to venture into Luna Lovegood's dreams again.

- o -

But if Mallick was facing challenges, they were nothing compared to what his master was facing. Lord Voldemort had grown tired of waiting, and a surprise discovery made Laxsor's help no longer necessary. Voldemort was now eager to return to England and take the offensive; but before going, he wanted to leave his old friend a parting gift.

Laxsor was working late in his study one night in December, trying to make a coherent picture of the mass of information that was coming back from Hogwarts, the Mountain Chalet in Switzerland, and his own invasions of Voldemort's mind. The more he analyzed the information, the more doubtful he was of Dark Lord's chances. The odds were just too much against him.

It had become clear that Voldemort had been reduced to just a handful of followers; some still in England and some with him here. And though much of his power was still intact, he did not have the power to launch a major offensive. Laxsor learned from Voldemort's mind that his followers in England were close to developing the legendary "Shield of Astragal." Should he ever gain such power he would be practically invincible; something that Laxsor would do almost anything to prevent.

On the other hand, Laxsor now had no doubts that the Dark Lord did indeed have access to a Vale of Death; something that he had long coveted. But how to acquire the Vale without giving Voldemort what he wanted, that was the problem. Once the Dark Lord had both the Sword and Shield of Astragal he would be unstoppable, and Laxsor had no doubts that he would also be one of the first targets.

At that moment there was a knock at the door of the study. Laxsor casually waved his hand and the door swung open to admit a small House Elf, dressed in the forest green garments that traditionally signified an elf of some rank within a household. The elf approached his master gravely and made a deep bow.

"Good evening, Golack." Laxsor said with some degree of surprise. "What brings you here from the Mountain Chalet?"

"Grave tidings, Master. The chalet is no more; the Dark Lord has destroyed it." Golack responded sadly.

"Tell me all that has happened," Laxsor said soberly.

"The Dark Lord somehow learned that the chalet contained Dream Stones, we don't know how. He flew into a rage, promising a terrible revenge against you. He killed several members of my family, and then he destroyed the chalet itself. I and those who survived came here"

"I'm sorry, Golack. I mourn with you in your loss." Laxsor said somberly, silent rage hidden behind his words. "We will rebuild the Mountain Chalet, and he who destroyed it will feel my wrath. The fault was not yours, nor that of your family; please make that clear to them. They can serve here in the castle until their own home is rebuilt."

"Thank you, Master. I also have another matter to report. This morning the Dark Lord had a visitor from England, a wizard named Macnair. The Dark Lord put a silencing charm on the room, so they could not be overheard; but I was already concealed within, and heard everything. Macnair brought a pendent that he called the Shield of Astragal, and Voldemort seemed very excited to receive it." The House Elf noticed his Master pale at this news, but finished his story. "Macnair said they were working out of an old mansion near Middlesex, and would await further orders there"

"Thank you Golack, you serve me well. Tell your family that they all serve me well."

"Thank you Lord," the House Elf said, bowing his way out of the room.

As soon as the elf had left, Laxsor called to a large, grey hawk perched majestically on a stand by the window. It spread its powerful wings and flew over to land on its master's desk.

"I have a mission for you, Aeolus." Laxsor said grimly, as he hastily scribbled a note on a piece of parchment. "I need you to take this message to Mallick at Hogwarts Castle. You know Mallick's many guises, so you should have no trouble recognizing him. He has taken on the role of a student; so if you deliver your message in the morning, with the owl posts, it should cause little suspicion. All of our fates may depend on this message getting through, my faithful Aeolus, so do not fail." As he was speaking he attached the parchment to the bird's leg. The bird then spread its wings and flew to a nearby window, cast a glance back at its master, and launched itself out into the darkness.

After the hawk had flew away, Laxsor sat down at his desk and took a dark colored pendent from a secret drawer, and studied it intently. The pendent was not particularly attractive, but it looked extremely old; as indeed it was. The crystal that was its heart was a smoky grey color, and seemed to radiate the great power which it contained.

- o -

The next morning at Hogwarts, hundreds of owls flew into the Great Hall to deliver the morning mail. Among the owls was one grey hawk, which no one but Professor Dumbledore seemed to notice. Although it had been many years, he knew the bird and he knew its master. The Headmaster watched attentively as the bird delivered its message to the seventh-year transfer student in Gryffindor.

Professor Dumbledore smiled grimly and turned to Professor McGonagall. "I should like you to arrange a meeting with Harry and Luna immediately after breakfast. I should like you to be present as well, Minerva." Minerva McGonagall noticed a slight note of urgency in the Headmaster's voice, but she knew better than to ask; and she hurried off to make the arrangements.

A few minutes later Harry and Luna were standing before the gargoyle that protected the stairway to Professor Dumbledore's office; the young wizard was wondering what had happened that would cause them to miss their first class of the day. Professor McGonagall had merely said that it was an urgent matter and that their teaching assignments would be covered by other teachers. Luna apparently sensed Harry's concern, and giving him a reassuring smile she took his hand. He smiled back at her a bit sheepishly, and knocked on the door. The door swung open by itself and the two entered to find the Headmaster seated at his desk with Professor McGonagall standing beside him.

"Good morning." He said, motioning the two teens to comfortable chairs that were facing his desk. "Thank you both for coming so promptly. Something happened this morning that we need to discuss. Did either of you notice a grey hawk that entered the Great Hall with this mornings owl post?"

"Yes," Harry responded at once, "I saw Eric receive a letter delivered by a grey hawk. I thought it a little unusual at the time; I've never heard of a hawk being used to deliver mail."

"They rarely are; generally hawks don't have the temperament for such mundane tasks. But it happens that I know that hawk. Its master is a most unusual man; extremely brilliant and potentially quite dangerous. Have either of you ever heard of a wizard named Laxsor?"

Both students confessed that they had not, but the surprised look on Professor McGonagall's face told them that the name belonged to a person of some importance.

"It's regrettable that Professor Binns isn't a better teacher," Professor Dumbledore mused. "History can be a truly fascinating subject when taught by someone better able to inspire a person's interest. Also, the young tend to be more interested in the present and the future; while as you grow older you develop a greater appreciation for the past."

"There have been three great dark wizards over the last century. One was Grindlewald, the second was Voldemort and the last is Laxsor. But Laxsor has always been different from the other two; Grindlewald and Voldemort were dominated by a lust for power, but it's a lust for knowledge that motivates Laxsor. He has always sought isolation from the world for reflection and research. As he has never posed a threat to our world, the two of us have remained at peace. Indeed, in the war against Grindlewald, Laxsor served as a strong ally. The grey hawk belongs to him."

"You had a dark wizard as an ally?" Harry asked in shock.

"Yes, Harry, I did. When you're young you tend to see things very much in black and white; but as you grow older you'll find that most things are actually shades of grey. Laxsor is indeed a dark wizard, but without his help we could have never defeated Grindlewald. But you see, Laxsor fits into that grey area. He practices the dark arts, but does so in the solitude of his castle in southern Germany; where he has shut out the rest of the world. We became allies because Grindelwald represented as much a threat to him as he did to us."

"But why would this dark wizard be contacting a seventeen-year-old boy in Gryffindor?" Professor McGonagall asked, clearly perplexed.

"If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Van Meer is a good deal older than seventeen. Laxsor has a remarkable servant named Mallick, although servant isn't exactly the right term. He's really more of a collaborator, and Laxsor treats him as such. But while Laxsor prefers isolation for his researches, Mallick has always preferred the exhilaration of field work. Together they make a most powerful combination."

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Headmaster." Professor McGonagall responded.

"Among Mallick's other talents, he's a very skilled Metamorph. I believe that he's been attending Hogwarts for the last four months in the person of Mr. Eric Van Meer."

"But why?" Harry and Luna asked together.

"That is the very question that troubles me. The evidence seems to suggest some sort of an alliance between Voldemort and Laxsor. Though I would find it difficult to believe that Laxsor would ever consider such an arrangement; if the Dark Lord were ever to gain power, Laxsor would almost certainly be one of his first targets for elimination. I think I need to contact my old friend, and see if I can learn his intentions. Laxsor is a master strategist, and far more subtle than Voldemort; and would make a very formidable opponent."

At that moment there came a knock on the door. Professor Dumbledore waved his hand and it swung open to reveal a young man wearing Gryffindor robes.

"Ah, Mallick, we were just speaking about you. Won't you come and join us?" Dumbledore said with a smile, and indicated a chair which had just appeared next to Harry.

The young man looked at Dumbledore with some degree of surprise, and then smiled in delight and replied. "Certainly, Albus, I would be delighted."

"So Mallick, how do you find our school?" The Headmaster began.

"I find Hogwarts to be a remarkable school, superior to my own Durmstrang in many areas. The only area that I could possibly fault Hogwarts on is your Dark Arts classes, which I find rather lacking."

"Yes, but you must remember, Mallick. Our philosophy is quite different from that of Durmstrang. We don't teach our students the Dark Arts, we teach them to defend against them."

"Ah, yes; there is a basic philosophical difference. Nevertheless I have enjoyed my stay at your school very much." Then turning to Harry and Luna he continued, "I very much regret that I will miss your next Quidditch match against Ravenclaw House; I have never played with a better team than yours." Then with a note of regret in his voice he added, "It's a pity that my school team of fifty years ago could never meet yours of today, it would have been quite a match indeed." With that remark, Mallick's features began to age and his hair turned to grey.

"Perhaps you and your Master would consider being my guests for the next match?" Dumbledore suggested.

Mallick smiled wistfully. "I should like that very much, Albus."

"Would it be inappropriate of me to ask the nature of the reports that you sent to your Master?"

"Perhaps inappropriate, Dumbledore; but not altogether unexpected. I told my master that Mr. Potter is a very powerful and resourceful young wizard; and with the help of the five friends that always stand with him, he would be a most formidable adversary. I might add that I've also suggested that Voldemort is the real threat, to all of us. The Dark Lord has offered my Master a great prize in exchange for his help. Knowing him as you do, I'm sure you can guess what that is."

"Do you think your Master would consent to meet with us?"

"As a matter of fact, I received a message from him this very morning requesting such a meeting. I'm sure you saw Aeolus fly into the Great Hall. We have no love for this "Dark Lord" either, and perhaps its time to speak of an alliance. My master also requests that Mr. Potter and Miss Lovegood be present."

"Yes, I think it's time that they did meet your master," said Professor Dumbledore, rising from his chair. "Then we will see you at the "Old Place" at sunrise tomorrow?" Dumbledore asked.

"I've never been to Maes Howe in the winter before, but that is the ideal place. I will inform my master of time and place. Until the morrow then Dumbledore," Mallick replied, also rising. But as he was about to leave he hesitated a moment, and then turned to address Harry and Luna. "It's been a rare pleasure for me to be a Gryffindor, if even for so short a time." And then he was gone.

Seeing the questioning look on Harry's face, Professor Dumbledore smiled slightly, and then returned to his seat and began to explain. "Maes Howe is a Neolithic Burial site in the Orkneys, on the island of Stromness. Several hundred years before the time of Merlin a powerful charm was placed on the site that prevents any treachery or use of offensive magic in the vicinity. For the better part of two millenniums it has been used as a neutral meeting place for warring factions. All are safe from treachery at Maes Howe. During the summer it's usually crowded with muggle tourists, but we should have it to ourselves tomorrow."

"Did you understand what Eric…err, Mallick meant when he said Voldemort had offered a great prize?" Harry asked.

"Laxsor has always had a fascination with the processes of life and death, though he doesn't fear it as Voldemort does." Dumbledore said musing. "I believe that Tom may be offering Laxsor the 'Veil of Death' from the Ministry, so he can continue his researches. I can think of nothing else that could forge such an unlikely alliance. And that gives me an idea; but it's something that I must discuss with Arthur Weasley first. Both of you need to get a good night's sleep. We will meet in front of the Great Hall at five tomorrow morning."

As it was halfway through their first class, the two teens decided to skip the remainder of it and go for a walk around the lake to talk about all they had heard. At lunch, they asked their friends outside so they could fully discuss the matter. But not even Hermione could keep Ron from bring a plate of food along with him.

"I've heard of Laxsor," said Hermione knowingly. "It was his influence with dark wizards that took away most of Grindelwald's support, and gave Dumbledore the help he needed to defeat him. His knowledge of the dark arts is supposed to be even greater than Voldemorts; he would make a valuable ally."

"I think that is what Dumbledore has in mind," Harry responded. "We'll know in the morning."

- o -

The next morning Harry and Luna woke up early and dressed in their warmest winter robes and cloaks; Dumbledore having warned them that winter in the Orkneys can be bitterly cold. After a quick breakfast in the kitchen, thanks to Dobby and the other house elves, the two went to meet the Headmaster. The three left the castle just as the first light of dawn began to show in the eastern skies, and after they had passed the gates of Hogwarts they Apparated to Maes Howe.

Harry found himself standing in a snow covered field, still holding Luna's hand. There was a light snow falling and a chilly wind blowing. It was fortunate that they had put warming spells on themselves before leaving the castle; because in this hostile environment their winter cloaks would simply not be enough. Dumbledore pointed to a rather innocuous looking mound a short distance away, and declared it to be Maes Howe; and the three started to trudge through the snow towards it.

Professor Dumbledore used his wand to unlock the iron gates that secured the tomb, and using the light from their wands they made their way down the narrow stone passage that led to the inner chamber. As they were moving cautiously along, Harry couldn't help but wonder why he was spending so much of his life in tombs; first Arthur's and now this. Reaching the inner chamber, and realizing that they had arrived first, they set about making it more habitable. Dumbledore created a magical fire that gave off warmth, but no smoke; while Harry and Luna transfigured several stones into chairs. And then they settled down to wait.

While Harry and Professor Dumbledore talked in hushed tones, Luna took the opportunity to translate some of the runic symbols on the wall.

"Anything interesting?" Harry asked, as he walked up and put an arm around her back.

"No, not really," she responded, laying her head against his shoulder, "Just twelfth-century Viking graffiti."

At that moment they heard someone trudging down the passage from the entrance. Both Harry and Luna tensed, and held their wands inside their cloaks; but Dumbledore seemed to recognize the steps and showed no apprehension at all. A moment later two men entered the chamber, heavily bundled up in winter cloaks and caked with snow. The two pulled off their cloaks and shook the snow from them, and then moved to the fire to soak in some of its warmth. Harry recognized the first as the wizard who had been introduced to him as Mallick; the second man was older, with a long salt-and-pepper beard and severe blue eyes.

"Dumbledore, the years have been kind to you my old friend," the older of the two said in a gruff but cultured voice. "You hardly look a day older than the last time we met, so many long years ago. And here we meet again, to deal with yet another ambitious upstart." Harry was surprised that he detected genuine admiration and even affection in the voice of the strange wizard.

"We have seen a great many winters you and I, and yet we still endure." Dumbledore replied.

"That is because we are wise enough to understand our place in the world; and not waste our energies in needless struggle. The world has both a dark and a light side, but the two need not be in conflict." But then changing the subject he added. "But I admit I am getting too old to endure these cruel Orkney winters. May I suggest we arrange our next meeting for someplace warmer, such as the south of France?"

Dumbledore chuckled as he replied. "I too feel the chill in my old bones, and a warmer climate would be welcome. I'll start looking for a suitable tomb along the Riviera coast for our next meeting. I'm sure my young friends, and perhaps Mallick as well, would enjoy their sunny beaches better than this rock bound coast."

"Ah yes, Mr. Potter and Miss Lovegood, I have been looking forward to meeting both of them." He said warmly, as he extended his hand to Harry first.

Harry shook it warily, and at his apparent caution Laxsor laughed loudly. "You wouldn't by chance know a rather excellent auror by the name of Alastor Moody, would you?"

"He helped train me." Harry replied, completely surprised by the question.

"I thought I sensed his influence. I should like to meet him once again; he was a remarkable man, and a remarkable auror. 'Constant vigilance' is always a good motto, especially in these cruel times….And this must be Miss Lovegood," Laxsor continued, taking Luna's hand warmly. "I knew your grandmother, child; during the last war. I can see that you inherited both her courage and her beauty. You are indeed fortunate, Mr. Potter."

"And what of this war, Laxsor? I find it hard to believe that you would ally yourself with someone such as Voldemort." Dumbledore said.

"War makes strange alliances, but I have never agreed to anything. I merely agreed to examine the possibilities, which I have done. I'm no fool, Dumbledore. I know well that if Voldemort were to win this war, he would immediately set about my own destruction; something I'm not prepared to accept. But I had hoped that a false alliance might gain me both time and a prize that I have long coveted."

"He's offered you the Veil of Death from the Ministry." Dumbledore said conclusively.

"Yes. But the Veil is no longer of importance; survival is now of greater importance. I learned two days ago that he has gained possession of the Shield of Astragal. That is the reason for this meeting, to discuss how we can defeat our mutual enemy."

Dumbledore looked grave, more so than Harry has ever seen him. "If he possesses the Shield, then no power muggle or magical can touch him. I'm afraid we are lost."

"You really should have spent more time studying the darker side of magic; there is much value in all magical study. In this case, the dark side of magic may provide the solution we seek If we cannot defeat the holder of the Shield, then we must defeat the Shield itself."

A glimmer of hope appeared in the Headmaster's eyes. "How?"

"I have two weapons for Mr. Potter; weapons that may allow him to destroy Tom Riddle." As he spoke, Laxsor withdrew something from his robes. "Have you ever heard of 'The Wrekin', Dumbledore?"

After a moments reflection the old Headmaster replied with a dawning awareness. "Yes, I've heard legends of an ancient talisman that can take away magic power, but I've always heard that it was just a myth."

"No, 'The Wrekin' exists, and has been in my family's keeping for more than a thousand years; but no one can calculate its true age." He said, as he showed all present a smoky grey crystal pendant surrounded by runic symbols. "The crystal has the power to mute all magical energy within the view of the wearer for a period of one solar day. Wear it around your neck, Harry; and when you meet Voldemort invoke its powers. It will render all within your field of vision powerless for a day; but be aware that it will also mute your own powers."

"But how can Harry defeat Tom if he has no powers of his own?" Luna ventured to ask.

"With this!" Laxsor declared, as he withdrew a sharply pointed, black crystal dagger from his robes. "The Shield of Astragal makes the bearer immune to any muggle or magical power; but he won't be immune to this. This dagger dates from the beginning of recorded time, when a great war erupted between the Kingdom of the Elves and a group of dark wizards determined to conquer them. Years before, the King of the Elves had befriended the Olympian god Hephaestus, when Zeus had him banished from Olympus because of his deformity. The Elfin King helped Hephaestus established a forge below the volcano on the Island of Lemnos, where he worked and lived in peace. When the Elves were facing certain defeat, and the triumph of the dark wizards was nearly certain, Hephaestus made ten of these obsidian blades to swing the balance, and show the Elves his gratitude. The daggers were made from the living magma of the volcano, and their blades were infused with the blood of the Hydra. With these daggers the dark wizards were destroyed; and this is the one surviving weapon. Nothing living can survive the slightest scratch from its blade; and as it is neither muggle nor magical, neither can Voldemort survive its touch." With that, Laxsor carefully returned the blade to its scabbard and handed it to Harry. "It has a long history of evil, but perhaps in this case it can be used for good."

Dumbledore nodded to Harry, and he somewhat hesitantly accepted both the dagger and the pendent. "Thank you…I think."

"No fear, Harry. Using these weapons will not turn you to a dark wizard. A dark wizard would use these without hesitation or regret; but I can sense the guilt you are feeling. You must remember the great evil that Voldemort has done in the past, and will do in the future if he survives. He is an enemy to all of us, both light and dark. You may count on me as an ally, Harry." Laxsor said, again taking Harry's hand.

"And I have something to offer you, though we no longer need to bargain for it. The Minister of Magic is willing to give you unrestricted access to the Veil of Death to conduct your researches." Dumbledore said.

"I accept your offer with pleasure, Albus. As I approach the great barrier that separates this life from the next, I long to complete my researches. Access to the Veil will greatly assist me."

Then after a moments thought he added. "I must warn you that Voldemort is on the move, and his attack will come soon. He believes himself to be invincible, and he is eager to resume the offensive. He has learned of my…err, less than benevolent surveillance of him and has disappeared, after first destroying the chalet I gave him for shelter. I must assume he's either in England, or on the way. I have learned that his supporters number only a handful; the two who accompany him and four more in England. I have already spread the word among my associates on the Continent that Mr. Potter is too powerful to oppose, and that the Dark Lord is doomed to fail. It is unlikely that he will gain any converts among the community of dark wizards; they have not forgotten how he deserted his followers on Avalon. However, he does currently have one spy at Hogwarts; a girl from Ravenclaw House named Mandy Brocklehurst, who has been doing a rather clumsy job of funneling him information."

"Mandy!" Both Harry and Luna exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, my friend Mallick has been taking great pleasure in throwing roadblocks in her path during his time at Hogwarts. He found it particularly amusing that when he hit her with a tripping curse, it was you who saved her, Harry. Very amusing, considering that she has been spying on you."

"I didn't know," Harry mumbled in shock.

"He also has an agent named Macnair, who is holding a group of Alchemists and Historians as prisoners in an old mansion near Middlesex. It was that group who successfully developed the Shield."

"We'll see to their rescue immediately, and I'll arrange for an auror to pick up Miss Brocklehurst for questioning," Dumbledore said grimly.

"Then I think that concludes our business for now, and I can return to the warmth of my castle." Then turning to Harry he added, "Farewell Harry Potter, I hope that the two of us can look forward to many years of peaceful coexistence." Mallick nodded to the teens as the two men threw on their cloaks, and turned to ascend the narrow passage to the surface.

When they returned to Hogwarts Castle the old Headmaster seemed preoccupied; and after a few parting words he excused himself. He said he had something to think about, but both Harry and Luna could tell he was deeply troubled. They both noticed that the old wizard didn't come down to the evening meal, an event he rarely missed, and he wasn't there for breakfast the next morning. Professor McGonagall assured them that he was alright; he just had a great deal on his mind.

From that first meeting with Laxsor onwards Harry always wore 'The Wrekin' and carried the obsidian dagger beneath his robes. He intended to be prepared when the moment came; and it would come all too soon.


	18. Now and Forever

**Disclaimer:** The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Note to Readers: **Please forgive me for the delay in posting this chapter; but it has gone through several revisions before arriving in its present form. Without the guidance and support of my wonderful Beta reader, John Adams, this chapter would not have been nearly as effective. I consider her the joint author of this chapter.

**CHAPTER 18: NOW AND FOREVER**

By Luckner and John Adams

The teens saw very little of Professor Dumbledore during the two weeks that followed their return from Maes Howe; and when they did see him, he seemed rather preoccupied. Actually he was struggling with a very troubling decision. He had learned to love the two children over the past year, and now he was faced with the most difficult decision of his life. Finally he resigned himself to the fact that the only possible course was to tell them the truth.

Professor McGonagall quietly entered the Gryffindor common room on a chilly March evening. She looked around and observed happy students busily studying, or talking, or playing games; but she herself felt no happiness. Finally she saw the two students that were the object of her visit. Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood were sitting close together on the sofa in front of the blazing fireplace; talking and laughing quietly. This was something that she didn't want to do, but she knew she must; the Headmaster had made the request and she was obliged to carry it out. She walked over to stand at the side of the sofa, and she suddenly realized that she didn't have the slightest idea how to begin.

"Good evening, Professor. Are you all right?" Harry asked, noticing the troubled expression on the old woman's face.

"No, Harry. I'm not feeling well at all." She responded. And that was the truth, because she never felt worse in her life. "The Headmaster would like to speak to both of you. Would you please go and see him?" The strain in her voice was evident to both of them. As the teens stood to leave, Professor McGonagall added in a barely controlled voice that he would be waiting for them at the top of the Astronomy Tower.

They looked at her rather strangely, but turned and left the room without questioning her further. She sadly watched them go; she had long dreaded the coming of this night, though she knew all along that it must come. Lavender Brown, who was passing through the common room at that moment, was shocked to see tears running down the face of the indomitable head of Gryffindor house

As Harry and Luna climbed the steps that led to the top of the Astronomy Tower they both wondered about the strange location that Professor Dumbledore had chosen for a meeting. Coming out into the clear, starlit night, they saw the Headmaster standing over by the stone battlements, looking up at the stars.

Without turning around the old man began to speak. "The stars," he said wistfully, "they're so beautiful aren't they; so peaceful and untroubled?" The two teens could hear the sadness in his voice as he slowly turned to face them. He looked so very old, like he had aged a hundred years in just the last two weeks.

"There is something that I need to tell you," he said with a sigh. "I suppose that it's something that I should have told you long ago; but I didn't feel that I had the right, and also I didn't want to. It was important that the two of you have this time together, free from worry. I…I wanted to give you this." He said his voice breaking.

Harry realized at that moment that whatever the old man was trying to say was not going to be good, and he reached over and took Luna's hand in his.

"You've both had such lonely lives; it's only been with each other that you've been able to find any real happiness. I wanted you to have that happiness for as long as possible. But the time grows short, and you both have a right to know the whole truth." The old man then paused for a long moment, his own feelings of despair threatening to overwhelm him. From somewhere deep within himself he gathered the strength to go on with what he was saying. "Almost two years ago I told you Rowena Ravenclaw's prophecy concerning yourselves and the Dark Lord. But what I didn't tell you was that there was a fourth line to the prophecy. I didn't want you to know it then; I wanted you to be happy and find your love together. I hope you can forgive me for that."

"Then tell us now, Professor." Harry said in a determined voice.

The old man looked at the two young students standing before him and wished with all his heart that there was some other way, and then he drew a deep breath and began to speak. "The final line of the prophecy states that: 'after the evil one is vanquished the chosen one, and she who loves him most, must die together.'"

There was a long silence as his words sank in, and then Luna spoke softly. "That's what you meant when you told us that 'there was always a price to be paid when evil is vanquished.' Our lives are the price that must be paid, aren't they?"

"Yes… they are," the Headmaster answered sadly.

"And you allowed Luna to fall in love with me, knowing that this was my destiny?! Why didn't you tell her? Why didn't you give her a choice?" Harry shouted.

"No, Harry," Luna said, gently laying a hand on his arm. "This is my destiny as well, and my choice. I told you once that when the time came we would face him together. I think all along I knew that it would come to this; and I'm not a bit sorry. I think I'm the luckiest girl in the world." Then she walked over to the headmaster and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Thank you, Albus, for giving us this time. I'm very grateful. And when the time comes, we'll be ready."

Then she turned to Harry and smiled. "It's such a lovely night. Why don't we go for a walk down by the lake?"

He looked at her a bit sheepishly, embarrassed by his angry outburst. He took a deep breath, and then another, and then said sincerely, "I'd like that very much."

As the two teens were about to leave, Harry turned back to the old headmaster. "I'm sorry, Sir, for loosing my temper. I also want to thank you for giving us this time. I would have liked our daughter to have come to Hogwarts and to have played Quidditch, but then…" As his remarks trailed off, Luna took him by the hand and led him down the stairs and out to the lake.

A few minutes later Professor McGonagall joined the Headmaster. From the top of the tower they watched as two figures moving along the path far below. "How did they take it?" She asked in a whisper.

"Like I knew they would," he replied with a hint of pride, "with courage. They are two very courageous people, Minerva. I'm glad they have each other."

As they walked around the lake under the bright spring stars, Luna asked Harry the question that had been on her mind since they had talked with Professor Dumbledore. "Harry, do you think it would be all right if we went home for Easter?"

She didn't have to say why, he already knew. She wanted a chance to say goodbye to her Father, Grimmy and her forest; and Harry wanted it as well. 'Everyone should have a chance to say goodbye,' he thought. He pulled her into his arms and said, "Yes, I would like to go home as well."

He saw the expression on her face turn briefly to one of regret, and knew without words that she was thinking of Lizzie and Jamie. "You would have been a wonderful Mother," he said sincerely.

"And you a wonderful Father. But it's alright Harry, as long as I have you."

"And you always will," Harry replied fiercely. He knew that the two of them would need to talk about this, but now wasn't the time.

- o -

The next day was Saturday, and Harry had an early meeting scheduled with Professor Lupin to discuss the progress of some of his students. After all that had happened, Harry wanted to cancel the meeting and spend the entire day with Luna; but she insisted that he needed to go. He went, but was distracted the whole time. He just couldn't get Luna out of his mind. He knew how much she wanted to someday hold her very own child in her arms, and now that could never be. He understood that Luna had willingly chosen to share his destiny, but his feelings of guilt still threatened to overwhelm him.

After the meeting he went looking for Luna, and found her sitting beneath an oak tree next to the lake. He knew that she must be thinking about everything that she had lost. He knelt down beside her and took her hand. "I'm so sorry, Luna," he managed to choke out.

She looked up at him in absolute shock. "Harry, what's the matter?" She asked urgently, as she noticed tears on his face.

"I'm just so sorry that I've dragged you into all this. I know how much you wanted Lizzie and Jamie, and now that can't happen."

"You wanted them too, Harry, as much as I did." She said in a whisper. "But that just doesn't happen for everyone. I wasn't thinking about what I've lost, I was thinking about all I've gained. I was thinking about what a miracle it was that I found you, and that you love me."

"How could I not love you? You're everything that I've ever wanted. But still, you might have led a more normal life without me."

"Me? Loony Lovegood? Normal? Well I highly doubt that; and besides, I wouldn't trade my life for anything in the world."

"Merlin, how I love you," Harry said, and took her into his arms.

- o -

As the Easter holidays moved closer, Harry and Luna eagerly anticipated their return to "The Meadows." The cottage in the woods had become his home now as well, the only real home that he had ever known; and he was looking forward to spending the Easter holidays there. The two teens had elected not to tell their other friends about the prophecy, fearing that the others would never let them out of their sight. The two of them could do what needed to be done, and pay the price that needed to be paid. They wanted their friends to have happy lives together.

The day after they returned home Harry and Luna went for long walk in the woods, and a visit to the Rain Cave. As they walked along the tree shaded path, Harry glanced over at Luna.

"Did you tell him? Your Father." He asked carefully.

Luna looked sad for a moment. "No…but he knows. I know by the way he talks to me."

"But how?"

"I don't know. Maybe Professor Dumbledore told him, or maybe it's because we're so close. But he knows."

"You really should talk to him, Luna."

"I love him, Harry. I love him as much as I love you. I can't talk to him about this, but he understands. I wrote him a letter telling him how much I love the two of you, and that this is what I want. I asked him not to be sad, because we'll be waiting for him on the other side of the veil when his time comes."

They walked along in silence, holding hands, and Harry wondered how he had ever been lucky enough to find her. As they crested the trail leading down into the Valley of the Roses, Harry looked up into the clear blue sky. He wished that it was raining, for their visit to the cave; but there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

They spent most of the day simply enjoying the peace and tranquility of that very special place; as Grimmy lay by the entrance, protecting her two young charges.

"Why doesn't Grimmy have a pack of her own," Harry asked casually. "I would have thought your Father would have settled other wolves here; then Grimmy could have had pups of her own."

Luna looked sad for a moment, and then spoke slowly. "He wanted to settle a pack here. That's why we first went to Sweden; when I was a little girl. But we were too late, Grimmy was the only one left alive."

"I don't think I understand. There must be hundreds of wolves in Norway and Northern Sweden, not to mention Russia."

"Yes, that's true. But you see they wouldn't do. Those are Timber Wolves, and Grimmy is a Salter Wolf. They are really quite different, you know," she explained patiently. "Everyone thought Salter Wolves were extinct, but Dad found one last pack in Northern Sweden. But we just didn't get there in time."

Harry could see how the memory hurt her, and he reached over and laid a gentle hand on her cheek. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely.

"Yes, so am I."

- o -

As they walked away from the cave, Harry suggested that they gather a bouquet of wild roses for their room at home. Luna loved the idea, and she promptly transformed them two baskets. Using their wands to clip the stems, they set about gathering the flowers.

At that moment they heard someone call "Accio wands," and they felt the wands being ripped out of their hands. Spinning about they saw the dark form of Voldemort standing a few meters away, a smile of triumph on his face. Draco Malfoy suddenly appeared a few meters to his left and Wormtail a few meters to his right; both were wearing the black robes of Death Eaters, and had satisfied smiles on their faces.

"Well, Harry, we meet again. This is a meeting that I have long anticipated. And you brought Miss Lovegood with you; most accommodating." Voldemort said in a gloating tone.

The two teens were separated by several meters, and Luna immediately began to edge over in Harry's direction. She saw that he was doing the same thing. If only they could link hands the 'Shield of Selena' would protect them both.

"No further, young lady," Voldemort said in a honey-sweet voice. "One more step and Potter dies." And to back up his threat the Dark Lord raised his wand and aimed it at Harry's heart. "You see I know about the protective necklace that you wear, but Potter has no such protection."

Luna froze in her tracks and looked over at Harry sadly. And then with quiet resolve she reached behind her neck and undid the clasp on her necklace. She removed it and let it fall to the ground. Then she walked over and stood by Harry's side, slipping her hand into his.

"Foolish child, now I'll simply kill the two of you. But I have waited too long to rush this moment, and instead I intend to savor it. I promise that your end will not be quick, and you will plead for death before I'm done with you."

But as Voldemort rambled on, Harry caught Luna's eye and nodded towards the Phoenix Pin that she was wearing on her sweatshirt. In a flash she remembered that the pin could be used as an emergency portkey. The two teens cautiously reached up and pressed on the Phoenix to activate the pin. But nothing happened.

Voldemort saw their movement and noticed the pin that both teens were wearing. Smirking, he withdrew a small, orange globe from the pocket of his robes and showed it to them. "Very clever, Harry; to wear a portkey for when you might need it. You have learned a few things since our last meeting. Unfortunately, this little charm prevents anyone from Apparating or using a portkey in its vicinity. Now I have waited long enough; its time for both of you to feel what real pain is." And with that Voldemort raised his wand to cast the spell.

But Harry wasn't finished quite yet; not with 'The Wrekin' hanging around his neck and the obsidian dagger hanging from his belt. He slipped his hand beneath his shirt and grasped the pendant tightly, feeling it warm to his touch.

Voldemort aimed his wand at the two teens and cast the Cruciatus Curse, focusing all of his hatred into the curse. The two children should have been suffering from excruciating pain at that moment, but they showed no reaction at all. Voldemort cast the curse a second time, but still there was no effect. He looked at the silver necklace, still lying on the ground where Luna had dropped it, and knew it wasn't the cause of his failure. At that moment Harry withdrew the smoky-gray pendant from his shirt and looked at the Dark Lord with a grim smile.

In a rage Voldemort spat out one word, "Laxsor!" But then, a moment later, his rage melted away and he said grimly to Harry. "Laxsor will feel my wrath later for this; but I don't need magic to kill you and your little friend." And with that he nodded to Draco and Wormtail. The three dark wizards withdrew daggers from their robes and formed a circle around the two teens. "It will be more pleasurable to kill you this way," he said with a smirk.

Harry withdrew his own blade from its sheath and prepared for the final battle, stepping protectively in front of Luna. He knew that he had little chance in this fight, but he was determined to take Voldemort down with him.

But while all this was going on, something very strange was happening. The clear, blue sky had suddenly changed to a dark and threatening gray; and the day had become almost as dark as night. The wind ripped at the tree tops, and sent leaves swirling about the shallow valley. While Harry and Voldemort failed to notice it, Draco and Wormtail were trembling at the power of the almost supernatural storm. Suddenly, there was a deafening crack of thunder directly above them, and lightening shot down to the earth all around. All five became suddenly aware that something extraordinary was happening; something not of this earth.

And as quickly as it had started, the wind and thunder died away to an unearthly silence. Not a sound could be heard; but a strange presence could be felt by all of them. And then there was the gentle and reassuring murmuring of soft voices; the voices that Harry and Luna knew well from the Rain Cave. The gentle sounds made both children feel safe and secure. But Harry and Luna could see that Voldemort and his Death Eaters didn't find the sound either gentle or reassuring, for the three dark wizards looked absolutely terrified. And indeed, it was a far different and more terrifying sound that they heard.

"They're here." Luna whispered in Harry's ear. "They've come to help us." The two teens could sense that the valley was coming alive around them, and they realized that they had some very powerful allies.

As the sound of the murmuring voices rose to a deafening crescendo, Voldemort, Draco and Wormtail fell screaming to their knees. "What magic is this?" Voldemort screamed out in pain; holding his ears in a vain attempt to stem the terrible sound. Draco and Wormtail were screaming also; but only for a second, and then they were dead.

Then the sound died away, and the warm sun broke its way through the dark clouds. Draco and Wormtail were sprawled on the ground where they had died, but Voldemort was still alive, though obviously badly shaken. He struggled to his feet, still clutching the dagger in his hand. He reached into his robes and pulled forth a large copper-colored medallion, and then he smiled grimly at the two teenagers. "This is the Shield of Astragal!" he declared triumphantly. "I cannot be killed by any force either muggle or magical, and that includes whatever magic there is protecting this forest. And now, Harry Potter, I will have my revenge!" The Dark Lord moved determinedly forward, and Harry prepared to meet him.

From the first thrust and parry it was painfully clear that this was a battle that Harry Potter was unlikely to win. Harry knew nothing about daggers, let alone how to handle them in deadly combat; but it became clear that Voldemort was a master at the art. Foot by foot the Dark Lord forced Harry down the trail, as the two grappled in a deadly dance of death. Only Harry's courage, and his extraordinary Quidditch reflexes, saved him from a number of deadly thrusts by the Dark Lord. But it seemed that the inevitable was only being postponed, as Harry was forced to retreat step by step.

Not able to see where he was going, Harry tripped over a tree root that was showing above the ground. Unable to regain his balance, he fell backwards wildly, and hit the ground with a sickening thud. The force of the impact knocked the dagger from his hand and temporarily stunned him. Luna, who was standing behind Harry, rushed forward and snatched the dagger up off the ground. Kneeling down beside the boy she loved, she held the dagger out defensively against the Dark Lord.

Voldemort threw back his head and laughed; a cold, cruel laugh. "You think you have the power to defeat me, little girl? Not very likely. It's time to put an end to this." And with those words he advanced to stand over the two children, his dagger clenched in his hand.

But at that moment they all heard a low, guttural growl, which came from behind them. Turning his head, Voldemort saw the form of a large black wolf standing on the low bluff above him. It was Grimmy; but it was not the sweet and affectionate pet that the two teens knew. This animal's eyes flashed red with savage ferocity as it prepared to defend those it loved. The hackles on the back of its neck were standing straight up, and every muscle in its body was stretched tight as it prepared to attack. Voldemort looked into the savage eyes of the wolf and for the first time showed real fear; for what he saw in those eyes was death.

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Harry snatched the dagger from Luna's hand and slashed out at his enemy, hoping to disarm him. The sharp blade sliced deep into the Dark Lord's arm just above the wrist. He grabbed his arm with his left hand and let out a scream of pain and rage; it was an unearthly sound that was neither animal nor human, and one that the two teens would never forget. From the deep wound spurted a dark, opaque liquid; something that might once have been blood.

But through all of this the Dark Lord never lost his grip on his dagger; and then, with an all consuming hate, he took the blade into his left hand. He could feel the poison coursing through his veins, but was nevertheless determined to strike down the boy with his last breath. He raised the dagger to strike, but it was at that moment that the great wolf leaped forward. The force of the impact knocked the Dark Lord several meters away from the teens, where he lay sprawled on the ground dead. Harry was never certain whether it was the poison from the dagger or Grimmy's ferocious attack that ended Voldemort's life; but he was most certainly dead.

Grimmy then trotted over to Harry and Luna and lay down submissively at their feet; as if asking approval for her actions. The two children were quick to praise their faithful pet; and then they sat down on the ground with Grimmy and waited for the fulfillment of the second prophecy. When an hour had passed, and nothing had happened, they decided that perhaps they should return to the cottage and notify Professor Dumbledore of the death of the Dark Lord. So the two teens and their faithful pet followed the winding trail that led out of the forest.

- o -

Within a few seconds of their floo call, the Lovegood cottage was crowded with members of the Order. These including Albus Dumbledore, Luna's Father and the Minister of Magic himself. Professor Dumbledore was completely at a loss when he discovered that the two teens were alive and well, and that the threat was apparently over. Harry and Luna explained that Voldemort and his remaining Death Eaters had been killed in the forest, and tried their best to explain the strange circumstances that led to their demise. Ron and Ginny Weasley were badgering Harry and Luna for still more details of the battle, but first the Headmaster needed to be sure that Voldemort was really dead.

"Before we go into any more details, will you please show us where all this happened?" He said, ending the questions for the moment.

Harry and Luna led the large group out into the forest, Grimmy running ahead to lead the way. The large wolf was delighted at all the company, thinking she was going for a playful romp. But the business they were on was deadly serious.

Reaching the shallow valley, Professor Dumbledore surveyed the remains of Voldemort and his henchmen and confirmed that they were indeed dead. He ordered the immediate removal of all three bodies, and directed that Voldemort be immediately cremated and that the ashes be delivered to him. The Headmaster intended on taking no chances that the evil wizard might somehow be resurrected.

Then they all returned to the cottage for an explanation of all that had happened. When they came to explain how Draco and Wormtail were killed, a satisfied smile appeared on Edward Lovegood's face.

"Do I understand you to mean that the spirits of Wood Nymphs killed them; Wood Nymphs that died over eight hundred years ago?" The headmaster asked in disbelief.

"That's exactly what they mean, Albus." Edward Lovegood interjected. "It's part of Shaw family legend that the spirits of the Nymphs protect the valley against all those who would do harm to any creature that lives here. Apparently those spirits came forth when Harry and Luna needed them most."

After they finished their story, Albus Dumbledore appeared more perplexed than Harry had even seen him. None of this made any logical sense to him. Rowena Ravenclaw's prophecy said that the two young people would die together after the Dark Lord's demise, and yet they were apparently quite healthy and happy. The headmaster could see a dark shadow briefly cross Harry's face as well, and knew that the boy must be thinking along the same lines as he.

"Well, it looks like everything has turned out for the best," Dumbledore declared rather abruptly. "I must return to Hogwarts to deal with some further detail."

"But could we speak to you in private first?" Harry asked, holding Luna's hand.

"I don't have the answers you seek at present, but perhaps if I could join you for breakfast in the morning I might be able to shed some further light on these strange events?"

"Of course, Albus; you're always welcome," Edward Lovegood replied with a smile.

- o -

That evening Albus Dumbledore sat in his office at Hogwarts School, a faded sheet of parchment in his hand. The whole wizarding world was in celebration, the Dark Lord was dead and the threat to peace was gone. But while the world celebrated, the old headmaster studied the yellowed prophecy of Rowena Ravenclaw. The first three lines had come to pass, but what of the fourth line; that was what troubled him.

It was at that moment that he heard a soft knock on the door, and Minerva McGonagall entered with a wide smile on her face.

"Those students, I think the school may never be the same again," she said.

"They have good reason to celebrate, as do we all."

Seeing the yellowed parchment in the headmaster's hand, she decided to ask the question that had been troubling her all evening, "I just don't understand, Albus. What does it all mean?"

"I wish I knew, Minerva." He replied. "We all assumed that Harry and Luna would fall in the final battle against Voldemort. It just doesn't make any sense, unless…" And then the headmaster went silent, in deep thought.

"Unless what, Albus?"

"Unless…," Albus Dumbledore began slowly, 'the prophecy regarding our two young friends wasn't a curse at all, but instead a blessing."

"A blessing? I don't understand. The prophecy said that they would die together after the defeat of Voldemort."

"Yes, Minerva. That is exactly what the prophecy does say….But it didn't say when. Harry and Luna have bound their hearts and their souls together; can you imagine either of them going on alone after the death of the other? Both of them would be completely lost if they were alone. But if, when the time comes, they were to pass through the veil together it would be very different. It would mean that from now until the end of time they would never be alone again. Both a blessing and a reward."

"But how much longer do they have?" Minerva asked, still not willing to accept the prophecy for what it really was.

"You know that Divination was always my worst subject," the old man said smiling. "But I should guess about 140 to 150 years."

"Then that means…" Professor McGonagall began.

"…That means that Lizzie Potter will be coming to Hogwarts in about twelve years. You had better get prepared, Minerva. I have a feeling that Miss Potter may be even more of a challenge than her Father has been."

"I can hardly wait," Minerva said with a wide grin.

- o -

The next morning, Professors Dumbledore arrived at the Lovegood cottage for an early breakfast. Harry and Luna were happily working away in the kitchen, and Grimmy was lurking underfoot waiting for the stray piece of bacon to fall; and there seemed to be quite a few of them falling. The Headmaster settled in a comfortable chair by the fireplace, and laid a gentle hand on the wolf's head. They had a nice breakfast, after which Professor Dumbledore asked Luna if he might have her recipe for Blueberry Waffles for the House Elves back at Hogwarts. Then they all adjourned to the living room where Professor Dumbledore explained his new interpretation of Rowena Ravenclaw's prophecy, much to the delight of all present.

Harry took this opportunity to ask Luna a question that he had been thinking a great deal about. "Ah, Luna….How do you know that Grimmy is the last Salter Wolf?"

"What?" Luna replied, a bit confused.

"How do you know that Grimmy is the last Salter Wolf? " He repeated, and without waiting for an answer he continued. "How many years did you and your Father spend looking for the Crumple Horned Snorkacks?" Harry asked with a strange smile on his face.

"Daddy looked for almost ten years."

"Well, we aren't going to give up after just one trip, are we? I think that we owe Grimmy a family of her own kind; so I guess that settles where we're going on our honeymoon. And something else, we're not coming back until we find a pack of Salter Wolves to share this forest with Grimmy." Harry said with determination.

"Honeymoon?" Luna said mischievously. "It's customary to ask the girl before you start planning the honeymoon, don't you think?"

Harry looked at her a little sheepishly. "I forgot," he said blushing. Taking her hand in his, he asked, "Luna, will you marry me?"

"I would love to," she answered sweetly. And then she hastily added, "If Professor Dumbledore will marry us."

"I would be deeply honored," the old headmaster said sincerely.

- o -

The Daily Prophet took great pleasure in reporting that Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood would be married in the Great Hall at Hogwarts, and that dignitaries from all parts of the world would be in attendance. Further, it reported that Luna would be wearing wedding robes specially designed by Claude Le Saire, the leading fashion designer in the wizarding world.

As usual, the Daily Prophet was completely wrong. Harry and Luna had decided that they wanted their wedding to take place in the Valley of the Wild Roses. The friends closest to them understood that the two wished to be married in the presence of the spirits who had so recently come to their rescue.

As for her wedding dress, Luna chose to wear her Grandmother's wedding robes; just as twenty years later her daughter would wear the same robes at her own wedding. Professor Albus Dumbledore took great pride in officiating at the ceremony, to which only family and close friends were invited.

But in reality the wedding was merely a formality. Their friends and their family already regarded the two as married, ever since the night that they had pledged each other. Ron and Neville stood with Harry as his best men, and Ginny and Hermione served as Luna's maids of honor

Harry and Luna left on a honeymoon to Sweden almost immediately after the ceremony. Actually, it was both a honeymoon and a search expedition. Within three months, with the assistance of Grimmy, they had successfully located the last pack of Salter Wolves, and had returned with them to the Lovegood forest. They returned just in time to stand up with their friends at the double wedding of Ron and Hermione and Neville and Ginny.

- o -

Just before Christmas of that year Harry and Luna lay on the soft moss of the Rain Cave, watching as Grimmy nursed her new litter of Salter puppies.

"I think they would be pleased," Luna said dreamily.

"Who?"

"The Wood Nymphs. I think they would be pleased…"

"…and proud," Harry finished. "And they will be more proud, because this summer there will be more litters of puppies born in the Rain Cave."

"I think I'll be having other plans for the Rain Cave this summer," Luna said with a mysterious smile.

At first Harry looked confused, but then a smile appeared on his face. "Lizzie? When?"

"July, I think," Luna replied happily. "It's a special birthday present for the man I love." And then she snuggled in closer to the man that she would love until the end of time.

**POSTSCRIPT**

Luna would have a total of five children in the Rain Cave, and Harry would be by her side every time. All grew up to be happy and successful people, but even their best friends considered them to be a bit odd; but in the best possible way. Harry and Luna would live out their lives at the cottage in the woods, for nothing could ever draw them away. Harry went on to become the greatest headmaster that Hogwarts School had ever known; even greater than his mentor, Albus Dumbledore. Luna Lovegood Potter would become almost legendary as the founding spirit behind the magical environmental movement; and she lived to see the day when man cared for the earth, and all the creatures that lived on it.

In the end the prophecy held true, and Harry and Luna passed from this life in their sleep, after 152 years of marriage. They were laid to rest next to their parents in the Hero's Cemetery at Hogwarts. And then the cemetery was closed, for they were the last heroes of that terrible war. Their grandchildren wished for the old couple to rest in peace. But their grandchildren were wrong; Harry and Luna were having far too much fun to rest. They had passed through the veil together and had started a series of adventures that those they left behind could not even begin to imagine.

THE END

**Author's Note: **I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. After a little bit of R & R, I'm going to start on a sequel titled _Lizzie's First Year._ Lizzie Potter goes to Hogwarts and finds that being a bit odd can be a real advantage, especially if your Father is Headmaster and there are still wizards determined to follow the dark path. Please be patient with me, I enjoy writing too much to rush it.

Luckner


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